Bittersweet Bloodstains
by Sheba the Lone Wolf
Summary: A vampire. A werewolf. It's true love, if only everyone else would let it be.  RikuxOC. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**A/N: Happy Halloween! **

**Chapter One**

_The forest was eerily quiet, its countless pine trees swathed with a heavy carpet of thick, silvery fog, a chill breeze wafting through their limbs. A crescent of silver moon lit the dark night, alongside an endless expanse of glittering, golden stars, shedding a soft glow on an invisible path leading through the trees, catching on the black fur of a towering, massive wolf. _

_Pausing, the she-wolf lowered her massive head to investigate her path, a few of the browned leaves strewn over the ground crushed beneath an unknown shoe. Lifting her head, the wolf inhaled the many scents of the forest carried to her on the breeze, her eyes instantly wide. _

_Her black fur bristling in alarm, her ears flattening against the back of her giant skull, she readied herself, a snarl of warning slipping through her bared fangs. The foul, sour odor of her enemy burned her nostrils with each silent breath, her golden eyes darting to and fro frantically as she scanned the night for the vampire, her ears twitching in search of any trace of sound. _

"_Why, Saki, you've kept me waiting." _

_The dark voice arose from the shadows, a bright amber gaze gleaming through the depths of the darkness where no moonlight touched. The werewolf, her glistening fangs glittering with moonshine and her golden eyes glinting angrily, watched as the vampire stepped forward, his silver hair lit by starlight. _

_With a deep inhale, the vampire smirked. "You are the alpha's mate. But, there was another man before him, wasn't there? You have two children, who have different fathers. Your mate doesn't accept your first daughter, because she is not his. And your second child, the only survivor of your last litter, is doomed to be destroyed. Your pack will disapprove of such…exotic coloration. It's very unnatural, certainly not something they would want to be passed down to their future leaders." _

_The she-wolf snarled, clearly displeased by her enemy's snide remark. She would have liked to express her feelings in words, but she knew the great danger of entering her human embodiment with a vampire nearby. The silver-haired man watched her, examining her wrinkled face and glittering eyes, her bared fangs and bristling, black fur, his amber gaze following her slightest movement. _

"_Your daughter is only a few months old, and her life is already so close to its bitter end. It's a real shame, isn't it, Saki? Your mate will have to kill his own daughter or the other werewolves will do it for him," he continued. His lips curled into a smirk, his sharp teeth glinting white beneath the moonlight. "And I'm here to make sure you never have another child again." _

_A growl rumbling in the depths of her broad throat, the she-wolf took a cautious step back. The vampire smiled, his amber eyes gleaming. _

"_You end here." _

Zahara woke in a cold sweat, beads of perspiration clinging to her alabaster face and forehead, her magenta eyes wide with fright. Her sleek, jet black hair was moist with sweat, clinging uncomfortably to her face and neck as she sat up in her bed. The elk hide hammock swayed with her motion, securely bound between two sturdy pine trees that sheltered her during the rain. Brushing aside her thick quilt, crafted from a light-colored animal hide, she threw her legs over the side of the bed, her magenta-tipped bangs clinging to her pale face, a quartet of small, circular tattoos underlying either of her exotic eyes, brimming with sorrowful tears.

It was a quiet, moonlit night, the trees enveloped with fog. It was too reminiscent of the dreary midnight when her father had announced the death of her mother to a confused and frightened pup. A matter of months old, Zahara hadn't understood why her mother had abandoned her. Later, she would learn her mother hadn't simply died, but had been murdered by a vampire.

Through her silent tears, Zahara sighed. She had never gotten the chance to get to know her mother; she didn't even remember what the she-wolf was like. She only remembered the warmth of her soft, black fur and the gentle kindness of her golden eyes. Zahara had been raised by her father, with the help of a kind she-wolf named Rexy who had taught her how to hunt and track her prey through the forest.

With another weary sigh, Zahara stood, wiping her moist face with the back of one hand. With a deep inhale, she breathed in the countless scents of the forest, each odor unique and different from all the others. Like all werewolves, she knew every aroma and stench in the forest. She breathed the cool, clean night air and, with a quick glance around the camp to reassure herself that no one else had awakened, crossed the clearing in the trees to bound into the dense forest beyond.

The breezes of the summer night were pleasantly cool as Zahara raced through the trees, bounding along one of the hidden trails known only to wolves. Her short, jet black hair whipped against her face as she ran, her long, magenta-tipped bangs leaving their usual place in front of her left eye. She hadn't taken the time to put on her converses before leaving the camp, and the earth was cool beneath her bare feet. There were times when she wondered why all werewolves wore the normal attire of humans, stolen from distant cities as needed, when a fur jerkin and bare feet would work just as well.

Like a true wolf, Zahara loved to run. Tirelessly, she ran through the forest, her alabaster skin bright with moonlight. When she finally tired and came to a halt, panting through parted, pastel lips, she realized how far she had wandered into the forest, much farther than she intended. Leaning against a towering oak tree, she took a moment to catch her breath before scanning the web of countless scents for her own to follow back to camp.

Instead, Zahara caught a familiar stench, surprised to sense the presence of her fellow werewolves. She recognized the rotten odor of her pack's three omega wolves immediately, strangely different from the clean scent of the other werewolves. She had never spoken to the three brothers once, and only knew that they had been generously taken into her pack soon after her birth, when they were found in a starved and ragged state in the territory. Her father had often muttered to her about how they had been nothing but trouble ever since.

"Hello, Zahara." The voice came from behind Zahara, and she turned to peer into the green depths of a werewolf's eyes.

"Hello, Travis," she answered. With a slight tilt of her head, she inquired, "What are you doing out here so late?"

As Travis staggered from the shelter of the shadows, she noticed that he grasped an empty, glass bottle in one hand. The hair on the back of her neck rose.

"Just out havin' some fun," he answered. His words were slurred. He was drunk, she decided.

"Where are Trevor and Trenton?" she prompted. The littermates were never far apart, she knew. It was strange to see only one of them around, and her nose had already warned her that the others were close by.

While Travis tossed the bottle he held aside, the glass shattering against the nearby trunk of an oak tree, Trenton appeared from the trees, staggering to stand beside him. As Zahara cautiously watched the two, she felt a strong arm grab her from behind, a reeking hand suddenly clasp over her mouth.

"Like Travis said, we're just out havin' some fun." Trevor chuckled, his hot, reeking breath wafting heavily over her ear. "You should join us."

Zahara whined in startled protest as a hot, clammy hand slipped beneath her shirt, groping her soft, underlying flesh. His free hand encased her screams as Travis bound her writhing arms behind her, dipping his head to kiss her unprotected throat, while Trenton began undoing her leather belt. Though surprisingly strong for her age, her strength fed by her fear, she was helpless against three full-grown, male werewolves.

Zahara managed muffled howl of objection through Trevor's hand and he smirked. "What's the matter, baby? Don't you like it?"

Snarling, her magenta eyes glinting angrily, Zahara grated her teeth against Trevor's palm, snapping at his fingers as she fought to free herself. Sinking to her knees, she wriggled free from his grasp, using her shoulders to shove Travis aside as she bolted for the trees. Trenton saw her intentions and, scrambling over tree roots and fallen limbs in his drunken stupor, threw her to the ground before she could flee.

Whimpering in terror, Zahara rolled onto her stomach, covering her head with both hands as she braced herself for an angry blow. But, there was only a strange silence in response to her attempted escape, the air suddenly tense. Then, with a sharp intake of breath, Zahara caught the rank tang of a vampire. Eyes wide, she felt a horrified shudder race down her spine.

"Werewolves." The voice accompanying the sharp odor was a low growl of warning. "Get out of our territory!"

Eyes wide with terror, Zahara realized that she had roamed into the expanse of territory ruled by vampires beyond her half of the forest in her carefree run. She scolded herself for not being more careful, and for leaving the safety of the camp without her father's consent. The argument unfolding in the background fading into a wordless slur, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the agonizing attack of the vampire.

An enraged roar freed Zahara from her daze, "I said, get out!"

Whimpering, Zahara listened as her fellow werewolves abandoned her, their feet crunching over the carpet of dead leaves that covered the forest floor, fleeing into the forest. Then, her arms folded uselessly over her head, she listened to the soft, almost silent footsteps of the vampire as he approached her.

"Please, please," she pleaded. "Don't hurt me."

"Hurt you?" he questioned. Without the low rumble of an angry snarl, his voice was as smooth as velvet, surprisingly soothing. "I'm actually wondering if you're alright."

With painstaking speed, Zahara opened her eyes, peering into a gentle, ice blue gaze inset in a flawless face framed by thick, silver hair. Whimpering, she slid her arms cautiously from her head, watching him carefully as she shifted to huddle against the nearest tree trunk, her eyes brimming with tears and wide with fright.

"Shhh…," he soothed, carefully extending a hand to stroke her shoulder. "I'm not going to hurt you. And I won't let those wretched mongrels hurt you either."

Squinting, he examined her alabaster face through the darkness, drained and colorless from her terror. Noticing the circular tattoos beneath her exposed eye, he gasped.

"You're their heir," he noted. "And those reeking dogs almost assaulted you!"

"I want to go home," Zahara whined.

Smiling, he stood and offered her his hand, "Well, Zahara, why don't I take you?"

"How do you know my name?" Zahara prompted, raising an eyebrow at him as she stumbled to her feet.

"You're the alpha's heir. How could I _not _know your name? Your dad hates me, along with the rest of my coven," he answered.

With a curious cock of her head, she inquired, "And what should I call you?"

"Riku." He smiled. "Now, why don't we go have a word with your father about what those mongrels did to you?"

With a soft, crooked smile, her lips half opened and half sealed, Zahara nodded.

**A/N: I've had this idea for about a month or so now, and thought it would be suiting to post it on Halloween. The "almost rape" scene is a first for me…disturbs me just a little. But, things will get better. Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated. And, just so you know, I LOVE fanart and I'd be thrilled if someone drew a scene from a future chapter for me. **

**::Sheba:: **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Chapter Two**

When Riku and Zahara arrived in the small camp, the stench of the werewolf's fear and her vampire companion entering the clearing long before them, they were greeted by the piercing glares of the pack. Lining either side of the alpha's den, a formation of clustered boulders near the camp's center, the werewolves waited, their eyes penetrating the darkness to stare at Riku in disgust and wonder.

An astonishing duo of gleaming emeralds moving forth through the night, a soft voice whispered worriedly, "Zahara?" Before the she-wolf could approach the frightened heir, a massive, dark silver shape glided through the night to stand between her and the intruder.

"A vampire." The voice was a low, seething snarl slipping through glinting, snowy white fangs lined by black lips. From his den, the alpha arose, his hackles bristling with apparent rage as he stepped forth. The moonlight caught on his silver and white fur, reflected in his vengeful, teal glare, his white cheeks bearing the dark red tattoos of the alpha, a similar marking adorning his left foreleg. Then, in a matter of seconds, it was a tall, robust man standing in the giant wolf's place.

Meeting the piercing, distrustful gaze of the blonde-haired man, Riku dipped his head in respect. "I mean you no harm," he began, choosing his each and every word with care. "I've come to have a word with you, sir."

"About what?" the alpha growled. Riku scanned the two lines of giant wolves awaiting their alpha's commands by his sleeping quarters, searching for the three who he had rescued Zahara from. Excluding the shaken young woman at his flank and the glowering man before him, Riku saw only four werewolves in the clearing: the sleek, jet black she-wolf who had called to Zahara upon their entrance and the larger, golden-eyed male who had prevented her from approaching them; a beautiful, golden yellow and white she-wolf with crystalline, blue eyes; and a simple, brown-furred wolf with a blazing, dark green gaze.

"Sir," Riku continued. "Three of your wolves were just chased from vampire territory. But, I think what I have to say about them is what will catch your attention."

Glaring, the alpha called, "Zahara, get away from that leech." Whimpering submissively, Zahara obliged, crossing the distance between Riku and her father to stand at his side. Watching as his daughter quivered in obvious fear, he turned to Riku and bellowed, "Why is she so frightened? What have you done to her?"

Sustaining a steady, ice blue gaze and careful tone, Riku spoke, "Your heir is terrified, sir, because three of your wolves almost assaulted her on vampire territory." Smiling, he added, "Rest assured. I made sure they caused her no harm and returned her to you safely, though she seems a bit shaken."

An alarmed array of gasps arose from the on-looking wolves. The alpha's jaw clenched.

"Zahara," he snarled, his voice seething with rage as he spoke through gritted teeth. "Is that true?"

"Yes." Her voice wavered with fright as she spoke. His entire form quivering, a growl rumbling in his throat, the alpha threw a protective arm around his daughter's shoulders, sweeping her closer to him.

"Which three?" he demanded. Zahara glanced up at him with wide, terrified eyes.

"Trevor, Travis, and Trenton," she answered. Her father snarled.

"Why am I not surprised?" he spat bitterly. Swinging to face the four wolves behind him, he bellowed, "Neal, Storm, get rid of those three mongrels for good!"

Nodding, the massive, dark gray wolf bolted across the clearing with his dark brown companion, vanishing soundlessly into the surrounding forest.

"Rexy," the alpha commanded, turning to the golden and white she-wolf, who waited for his demand with an expectant gleam in her blue eyes. "Make sure this leech gets back where he belongs."

Flashing Zahara a final, reassuring smile, Riku turned and followed the blue-eyed wolf into the trees, the moonlight dancing on his long, silver hair as he walked. Even when he had vanished into the night, Zahara continued to gaze at the place where he had disappeared. There was some peculiar quality about him, something different from the other vampires.

"Sheba." Her father's voice brought Zahara from her trance, his tone particularly bitter as he spoke the emerald-eyed she-wolf's name. "Keep an eye on Zahara while I go help Neal and Storm," he demanded.

"Yes, Riley," the she-wolf answered. She watched as her leader returned to his wolf embodiment, gliding through the darkness as soundlessly as the wind to vanish into the forest. Then, with an agitated sigh, she phased into her human form.

Smiling at Zahara, Sheba rolled her eyes and prompted, "So, do you think he'll ever like me?" Patting the black-haired young woman's back, she wrapped a gentle arm around Zahara's shoulders and escorted her across the camp to sit on the edge of her elk hide hammock.

"Are you feeling alright, Zahara?" Sheba inquired, stroking her back with one hand as the hammock swayed to and fro beneath them.

Zahara forced herself to smile. "I'll be alright."

Zahara shared a special relationship with Sheba, who was both her best friend and her partial sister. Sheba, who was seven years older than Zahara though she stood only a few inches taller, had never met her useless father, who had deserted the mother she and the younger werewolf shared before she had been born. Losing her mother at an early age, Sheba had been cared for by her dear friend, Storm, since her childhood, loathed by Zahara's father simply because she was the child of his beloved mate and another man. But, even beneath Riley's disapproving eye, Sheba had always made time for Zahara.

With the single exception of the alpha, all the werewolves loved Sheba. She was someone everyone could rely on, who anyone could entrust with a secret or talk to when they needed a shoulder to lean on. Sheba was remarkably kind and understanding, and Zahara admired her for her constant patience with everyone. As hard as Riley had tried to keep the two separate, Zahara and Sheba had been best friends since childhood.

Suddenly, Sheba spoke, "Oh. There's something I've been wanting to tell you." Her tone was surprisingly upbeat despite the situation. Glancing at her half-sister, Zahara saw a cheerful excitement brewing in her hazel eyes, a smile plastered to her fair-skinned face, her dark chocolate hair held neatly to the back of her head in a black clip while her long bangs framed her face.

With a small smile and slight tilt of her head, Zahara silently inquired what Sheba wished to tell her, in the wordless language of wolves.

Grinning, Sheba leaned closer to Zahara's face, whispering in her ear, though there was no one else around to hear her words, "Storm asked me if I'd be his mate today."

The subject was exactly what Zahara needed to forget her troubles and anxiety after her startling experience only a mere hour before. For years, Zahara had teased her half-sister over her taut friendship with Storm. The two had been close since their childhood, when Storm had taught Sheba how to hunt and protect herself, and made sure she was fed and sheltered when no one else would. Zahara had decided long ago, when Sheba first began developing feelings for her dear friend and guardian, who often embraced and snuggled with her simply because it was instinctive to him, that it was a love fate intended to blossom.

"Aw." Zahara giggled, her troubles forgotten. "Does Daddy know?"

Sheba nodded, smiling. "I don't think he was too keen on my mating, but he does respect my strength enough to allow it. Our ceremony is in two months."

"That's great," Zahara cheered, smiling. Throwing her arms around her half-sister, she gave Sheba a squeeze. "I'm so happy for you!"

"But, no matter what," Sheba began, returning Zahara's secure embrace. "I'll always make time for my little sister."

Zahara smiled. "You know, Sheba, you're lucky."

"What do you mean?" Sheba prompted.

"Your perfect man has always been right before your eyes," Zahara replied. "And I'm eighteen and still single!"

Sheba laughed. "Oh, Zahara, Zahara…," she chuckled. "It'll all come with time. Just you wait. You'll find someone."

"I know, I know." Zahara rolled her eyes. "It's just…taking too long."

* * *

The towering wall of rugged stone, a mere portion of a massive rock formation jutting from the earth, strewn with a tangle of countless vines and dark growth, was eerily quiet as Riku returned to the camp he had called home since his childhood, when needless murder had claimed the life of his mother at the hands of his own father, a man he had never known or wanted to know.

The moon's dim, silver light guiding him, he clambered up the steep rock face to one of the many caverns indenting its seemingly endless flank. Grabbing the familiar ledge, he pulled himself effortlessly upward to stand on the stone lip. Pausing, he glanced at the dark entrance to a second cavern, a dozen yards from where he stood, and caught the slight glitter of the moonlight dancing on dark chocolate eyes. But, as swiftly as he caught her gaze, the vampire vanished into the cavern she and her best friends, Kaileigh and Bree, spent their resting hours in. He recognized the smug, glimmering eyes immediately; the teenage vampire named Nikki had been trouble for Riku since the day of her arrival, always eager to inform their leader of any mistake he made. Naturally, his leader would soon know about his escort from werewolf territory, the harsh, canine stench clinging to him with a grip as strong as the wolves' powerful jaws.

The small cavern was crammed with two mattress-like beds crafted from sleeping bags stuffed with an assortment of soft animal furs, their open edges securely sewed together and topped with warm, elk hide quilts, and a glowing lantern that provided a dim light. On one of the beds, their faces glowing with the golden light of the lantern, two younger vampires waited, a blue-eyed brunette whose arms enveloped a burgundy-haired young woman. Settling down on his makeshift bed, the sleeping bag it was crafted from once belonging to a hiker who had fallen victim to his coven, Riku pulled the elk hide quilt over him and turned to flash his friends a sharp-fanged grin of greeting.

"And where have you been?" the brunette prompted, smiling playfully.

His mate glanced at him, her azure eyes gleaming, and inquired, "Isn't it obvious, Sora? He smells like a _dog_."

"A few drunk werewolves crossed the border about an hour ago," Riku replied, rolling his eyes. "Tried to rape their own heir. Good thing I was nearby."

"Oh, is she alright?" the burgundy-haired teen asked.

"They didn't hurt her, just scared her a little. She'll be alright," Riku answered. "I didn't think it would hurt to take her home and tell her dad what happened."

"So, you just marched into werewolf territory without permission?" Sora prompted. "Man, Adam isn't going to be happy with you!"

Riku sighed. "When is he ever happy with me? He just doesn't like me."

"Aw, don't say that," Sora answered. Giving his mate a gentle squeeze, he added, "Kairi and me like you."

Riku laughed. "You should! We've been best friends since we were four!"

As the long minutes began to tick by, the night wearing on, the conversation began to dwindle. Exhausted from an evening hunt, the pursuit of two hikers wandering an ancient trail leading through vampire territory, Kairi had fallen asleep against her caramel-haired mate's chest quickly. Sora watched her with gentle, blue eyes saturated with adoration as he brushed a stray lock of her thick, burgundy hair from her flawless face.

Kairi hadn't always known the life of a vampire, wandering the forests during the warmth of summer in search of unsuspecting, human victims until the bitter cold of winter drove the hikers from the mountain, leaving her and the rest of her coven with nothing but animal blood to feed on. When she was no older than fifteen, she had wandered from her hiking family and into the forest, where an angry mother bear had almost claimed her life. Only Sora's abrupt ferocity, a rare sight in the normally calm and playful teen, had driven the bear away from the bleeding and broken girl. He had developed a strange liking for her immediately and, instead of feasting on her blood, had bitten her throat and injected her with his venom, eventually turning her into one of his own. He had nursed her back to health, and shown her the ways of his kind before eventually claiming her as his own.

Suddenly, Riku asked, "How did you know she was the one?"

Sora cast his silver-haired friend a curious glance. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

"Well," Sora began. "She…she smelled different."

"What do you mean?" Riku prompted. "She smells normal to me."

"There's a reason for that." Sora smiled. "To me, she smells…sweet. I've never smelled anything else quite like it."

Then, Sora's cheerful grin faded and he frowned. "When I found her, she was bleeding. Dying. It was so hard to not…feed on her. I've never wanted someone's blood so much. When I bit her neck…I was going to drink instead of changing her. But…"

"How did you resist _that_?" Riku demanded. "If she smelled so tantalizing and you actually started feeding on her…how could you?"

Again, Sora smiled. "She looked me in the eyes." Dipping his head to kiss his young mate's forehead, he continued, "It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but it was worth it. When she looked at me, I knew I couldn't kill her. I realized I didn't want her blood. I wanted _her_."

"Do you think I'll ever meet someone like that?" Riku looked strangely thoughtful.

"Sure," Sora answered, grinning. "How about Nikki?"

Riku groaned. "Definitely not!" he exclaimed. "She _tries _to get me in trouble with Adam!"

"Well, what about Bree?"

Riku grimaced. "She's such a stick in the mud. And too quiet."

"Kaileigh?"

Sighing, Riku looked at his friend and asked, "Are you aware you and Kairi are the only vampires around that will actually talk to me?"

"Nikki and Adam talk to you."

"Only when I'm in trouble," Riku pointed out.

Sora frowned. "True enough." Quickly, he added, "But, I'm sure other vampires will show up eventually. Maybe one of them will like you."

"Maybe." Gazing at the dull ceiling of the cave, the lantern's golden light dancing on the cold stone, Riku was quiet with thought for a moment. Then, he inquired, "Sora, have you seen the lead werewolf's daughter? You know, the heir."

"Nope."

Riku grinned. "She's something, Sora. I'd like to suck her blood!"

"I'd like to suck anyone's blood. I'm hungry-," Sora began. Belatedly processing his friend's words, he turned to face Riku with wide, astonished eyes, his mouth hanging open in surprise.

"Riku!" Sora scolded. "What do you mean "she's something?" She's a werewolf!"

"Calm down," Riku replied, his eyebrows furrowing. "I just said she was cute."

"Are you mad?" Sora demanded. "She's a _werewolf_! Not only that, she's their _heir_!"

Riku rolled his eyes. "Cute as she is, Sora, I'm not…interested or anything. Like you said, she's a werewolf. The alpha's heir. Adam _and _the lead werewolf would kill me if I came within five yards of her. Or," he paused, grinning playfully, "she might eat me."

"Good. You keep thinking that," Sora warned.

The conversation was quick to dwindle into silence, eventually interrupted by Sora's obnoxious snoring as he slept. Turning to the dimly glowing lantern, Riku blew the smoldering flame trapped within its glass quarters out and rolled onto his back to resume aimless gazing at the cavern's ceiling. A warm, summer breeze crept through the cave's narrow entrance, tousling his silver mane as Sora's words echoed throughout his head.

"_She looked me in the eyes." _

**A/N: I'm not a huge fan of this chapter. :\ But, the first few chapters are guaranteed to be nothing but introductory chapters. I want everyone to know who the main characters are, how the vampires and werewolves live, etc. **

**Anyways, review, please. ****J It makes me very happy when I get reviews. ;) **

**::Sheba:: **


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Chapter Three**

Her magenta eyes dull with boredom, Zahara stared aimlessly upward at the bright, morning sky above her, a crisp, late summer breeze swaying her elk hide hammock gently to and fro, rustling the dark green needles of the two pine trees her bed was mounted to. The camp was quiet, its silence broken only by the cawing of a raven as it circled above the camp, drawn by the rich aroma of the previous night's kill.

Her legs dangling over one edge of the broad hammock, Zahara sat up, gazing upward as she watched the raven soaring overhead. The black bird was free. And she was restrained to the boundaries of the empty, tedious camp, until her father clarified that she had recovered from her trauma and was well enough to wander the forest freely again. Watching the raven gliding above the towering treetops, Zahara longed to leap to her feet and bound into the forest, following the black bird as it flew through the untamed wilderness she called home.

With another obnoxious call, the raven dove, sweeping downward to perch on the edge of the massive, stone formation that served as Riley's den. Cackling, it cast Zahara a dark, unreadable stare, cocking its glossy, jet black head to one side. She smiled, taking care to not startle the bird as she stood and walked towards it.

Extending a hand, Zahara watched as the young raven, surprisingly small for its age, fluttered into her awaiting palm. Shifting from foot to foot, it watched her curiously as she examined its sleek, glossy wings and feathers. Ravens and wolves were naturally close knit creatures; the black birds depended on the wolves for food, feeding on any uneaten remainder of their kills. The raven seemed too young to be on its own and, as it gazed at her with a inquisitive tilt of its tiny head, Zahara was tempted to feed it. But, she knew feeding the raven would only lead to it depending on her for food, and she grudgingly resisted.

Suddenly, the raven released an alarmed caw and, flapping its broad wings, spiraled upward with astonishing speed. Glancing over her shoulder, Zahara met her father's turquoise gaze and smiled. Returning her smile of greeting, Riley crossed the clearing to stand beside his daughter, watching as the young raven circled overhead.

"The last time I saw a raven land in a werewolf's hand was before your mother died." Riley sighed, his smile replaced by a solemn frown. "You're a lot like her, Zahara."

Saying nothing, Zahara instead gazed longingly upward at the airborne raven as it began to leave, soaring into the distance. Again, Riley smiled, following his daughter's gaze.

"Alright, Zahara," he surrendered. "You're well enough to leave the camp." Quickly, he added, "But, if you're not back by moonrise, I'll keep you trapped here for another week."

Zahara grinned. "Thank you, Daddy!"

As she turned and bounded in the direction of the trees, Riley called after her, "Remember, moonrise and no later!"

* * *

Her exotic eyes glowing with the happiness of being free to go as she pleased, Zahara sprinted through the forest with an ecstatic grin plastered to her face, pausing when she heard the flutter of wings overhead. With a wolfish grin, she paused, glancing at the familiar raven as it landed on the twig of a nearby tree.

With a soft, friendly bark, Zahara invited the raven to play, as wolves and black birds sometimes did. Cackling, the raven flapped its great wings and took flight, soaring overhead as Zahara pursued it, chortling happily to herself.

When the dense trees parted to reveal a narrow clearing, a bubbling, shallow stream flowing through its center, Zahara froze. Sensing her tension, the raven cawed loudly and swooped downward, lighting on the branch of a stunted maple tree growing near the riverbank, a few white flowers rooted at its base. Though she had been in the area few times before, she recognized it immediately as the narrow river dividing the territories of the vampires and werewolves in a portion of the forest.

The hair on the back of her neck bristling with tension, Zahara crept cautiously to the riverbank, kneeling beside the stream and bowing her head to drink, lapping up the cold, crystalline river water, parched after her long, tiring run through the forest.

"Hey, don't I know you?"

The sudden voice, followed by the alarmed caw of the raven as it fled to the safety of the skies, startled Zahara. Immediately, she was on her feet, her sharp, snowy white teeth bared and her crescent, wolf-like eyes narrowed. Then, with a sigh of relief, her aggressive expression faded into a soft smile.

"Oh," she answered. "It's you."

Riku laughed. "Well, Zahara, I must say, I'm surprised to see you this far away from your camp after that incident last week."

The mention of her near assault was a terrifying reminder to the young she-werewolf. For a moment, she fell silent, haunted by the horrifying feeling of strange, foreign hands roaming her body.

Shaking her head, Zahara forced herself to smile. "Thank you, Riku."

"Thank you?" he prompted. "For what?"

"For rescuing me," she answered. "I can't imagine what might have happened to me if you didn't show up."

Riku shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Frowning, Zahara threw him a questioning glance, followed by a slight tilt of her head. "Why _did_ you rescue me?"

"What do you mean?" he replied. "Wouldn't anybody?"

"Well…" She sighed. "You're a vampire, aren't you? Wouldn't it have benefited you more to have…let me die?" She understood the intention of the omega wolves was assault, but she was positive that murder would have followed the incident.

Riku heaved a sigh, his fathomless, ice blue eyes troubled and his lips curved into a frown. "Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I'm a monster." A forced smile lighting his features, he concluded, "Werewolf or not, it would have been wrong to not help you."

She smiled. "You know, all werewolves are taught to hate vampires. And my father hates them more than anyone. But…you don't seem so bad. Maybe…everything we know about you is wrong."

"Your father blames all vampires for what happened to his mate," Riku answered bitterly. "Even though we've clarified that whoever killed your mother was not one of our coven."

Zahara smiled, her pastel pink lips parted to reveal snowy white teeth, the warm, kind-hearted grin lighting her entire alabaster face. The gleaming sunlight danced across her sleek, jet black hair, her long, magenta-tipped bangs tucked behind her left ear to reveal both of her brilliant, fuchsia eyes and their underlying quartet of matching tattoos, the minute circles growing larger as they drew nearer the outer corners of her crescent eyes. A pair of black jeans, ripped and torn in many places from long runs through the forest and its briars and snagging undergrowth, and a strapless, white top extended to only a few inches past her chest, revealing the smooth-skinned plane of her pale, slender stomach. A black, leather jacket with cuffed, elbow-length sleeves covered her sleek arms, protecting her from the evening chill of late summer.

Throughout the events of their first encounter, during the darkest hours of the night, Riku hadn't been able to see Zahara clearly, clarifying only that she was black-haired, fair-skinned, and bearing the facial tattoos of a female heir to werewolves. For the first time, as she stood on the riverbank with the sunlight sparkling on her magnificent, silk-like mane and her beautifully exotic eyes gleaming, he saw her without the dark glare of night. And, he decided absentmindedly, she was beautiful.

"Well, Riku, vampire or not," Zahara said, her flawless smile still present on her pristine face. "Thank you. I owe you my life." Respectfully, she dipped her head.

"Like I said before," he answered. "Don't mention it."

Suddenly, Riku's mind was flooded with thoughts of abrupt curiosity. He hadn't understood the sincere respect reflected in the slight dip of Zahara's head. Her every motion, a silent, wordless language so foreign and strange to him, was suddenly fascinating to him.

"Did you…nod?" he prompted, his intense, pale blue eyes alive with inquiry and wonder. He had heard countless, horrific stories of the werewolves who lived beyond his homeland's boundaries, but, suddenly, he understood that everything he knew of them was fiction. Zahara's eyes were kind and her smile was friendly; she was not bloodthirsty or murderous, as he had been told so many times. One look into the depths of her mysterious, magenta eyes told him the absolute truth: she was no monster.

"Nod?" she questioned, cocking her head inquiringly. "Do you mean this?" Straightening, she again dipped her head in his direction.

Riku nodded. "Yes. Aren't you nodding?"

"No," she answered, smiling. "It's a gesture my kind uses to show respect or thanks. It's our way of showing respect or saying thank you without talking."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just talk to each other?" Riku inquired.

"Well, if we were just in camp or out for a walk, it might be," she replied. "But, what if we were hunting? Prey animals are extremely sensitive to any sign of predators. If we talked to one another, we'd give ourselves away. So, sometimes, we communicate through gestures instead."

With a slight cock of her head, she added, "Like this, for example. A cock of the head is the same as asking someone to clarify something."

Riku smiled. "Like you said before, Zahara, there's so much we don't know about one another." His penetrating gaze filled with questioning and curiosity, he asked, "Will you tell me more?"

Flashing him a playful, wolfish grin, she answered, "I don't know. Should I reveal our secrets to the enemy?" Giggling, she agreed, "Of course I'll tell you. But, only if you agree to tell me more about vampires."

Again, he smiled. "Alright."

With a nervous glance at the dense, shadowy forest surrounding the tiny clearing on all sides, he added, "But, not here. Patrols pass through this area often…as if your kind ever actually trespasses on our land."

Smiling, he continued, "There's a nice hillside a few miles away. Right on the border, ironically. Neither territory owns it. And no patrols bother to go that far into the forest."

Smirking, Zahara prompted, "Is it true that vampires are as fast as werewolves? As quick as lightning?"

"Not at all." His response surprised Zahara; since her childhood, she had been told that vampires were to be feared in part because of their incredible physical strength, and in part because they were faster than the quickest werewolf.

"A vampire can run no faster than a normal human," Riku explained. "Our only advantage while hunting humans is our physical strength. We're much stronger than human beings, and most werewolves."

With another anxious, sideways glance, he added, "Let's get going, before someone catches us. If my leader caught me talking to a werewolf, I'd be as good as dead."

"And I'm sure my father isn't too keen on my talking to a vampire either."

With another solemn smile, Riku motioned to the trees ahead of where he stood and, on either side of the bubbling stream, the two began the long walk through the forest. Though she would have preferred to run gleefully through the trees, the wind tousling her soft mane, Zahara kept her pace even with Riku's. Even she, who knew a vast majority of the forest by heart, had never ventured so far from her camp, and she feared she would become lost in the seemingly endless trees if she left his sight.

For awhile, the two walked in awkward silence, before Riku suddenly spoke, "When I brought you home last week, I noticed your camp was full of hammocks. Do you sleep in them?"

"Yes," she answered. "Whenever we kill an elk or deer, we save its hide. My kind believes no part of the kill should be wasted. We eat the meat and use the hides for our beds. We use the bones for chewing on. We find a way to use every part of it, so nothing goes to waste. Sometimes, we even carve designs in the bones and offer them to the forest, to thank it for providing us with food and shelter." Smiling, she prompted, "Sounds strange to a vampire, right?"

"What about the other animals you kill for food?" he asked. "Do you use their furs and bones, too?"

"If we catch fish, we use their bones to make needles," she replied. "And we use the furs of smaller animals, like hares, for patches, in case our hammocks wear out in places. The alpha wears a necklace of small bones and stones to express his rank."

"What about your tattoos?" Riku inquired. "I understand that both the alpha werewolf and his heir have tattoos on their faces, but yours look nothing like his."

Zahara giggled. "That's because I'm a _girl_, Riku. And I'm not an alpha yet, so I don't have a leadership tattoo, like the one on my father's shoulder."

She indicated the small, circular tattoos beneath each of her crescent eyes. "The tattoos of a female alpha are smaller than those of a male. The female's curve upward slightly to frame the shape of her eyes, while the male's form a straight line. For year the male alpha leads, he receives another row of tattoos with one fewer circle than the one before it. An alpha can only lead for four years, and then their heir chooses a mate and takes over."

Zahara heaved a sudden sigh. "This is my father's last year of leadership. By the end of this year, I have to choose a mate and take over for him. Not only am I not sure if I can handle it, I don't have a clue who I want to be my mate. There's only one single male in the pack, and I am _not _interested in him!"

"There's another thing I noticed while I was in your camp," Riku responded. "The last time I checked, there were at least fifteen of your kind. But, I only counted six, including you, in the camp. What happened to all of them?"

Again, she sighed. "A few years ago, sickness wiped out almost all of us. It almost killed me. But, my sister found a flower in the forest that could cure it. She probably saved my life."

Riku stopped and turned to face her. "Wait. I thought you were the alpha's only daughter."

"I am." Zahara smiled. "But, before my mother met my father, she had another mate and a daughter named Sheba. She's my half-sister." Frowning, she added, "My father hates her because she reminds him of how his mate fell in love with someone else before him. I feel really bad for her. She has to work twice as hard at everything to please him."

Resuming his steady gait, Riku asked, "Do you remember what your mother was like?"

Zahara sighed. "No. I wish I did."

"I don't remember much about my mother either," Riku replied. He felt a sharp pang in his chest at the mention of the woman he had almost forgotten with time. "I remember the last night I saw her. I remember hiding in the shadows, helpless to protect her as my own father tore her apart. Her own mate killed her. He would have killed me, too…if I hadn't ran away and found this place. At least I had enough sense to run and not give him that chance." He sighed, feeling unheard of tears beginning to brim in his icy eyes. Blinking, he wiped his face on the white arm warmer that clothed his left forearm, hoping Zahara hadn't noticed.

"That's awful!" Zahara exclaimed.

"I know," he sighed. "If she had to go…I wish she would have died another way. I wish she would have died in peace…instead of at her own mate's murderous hands."

Eyes gleaming with sympathy, she listened as he swore at his father underneath his breath, biting back the tears he didn't want her to see. She, too, had lost her mother to needless murder, but she knew her pain was nothing in comparison to his.

For the rest of their long hike, the two walked in silence, continuing until the dense trees began to thin, parting to reveal a giant pasture beyond the forest. A sloping hillside, covered with a lush carpet of soft, bright green grass and multi-colored wildflowers, laid directly across from the forest's exit, on the border of vampire and werewolf territory, angled so that it was turned away from the shadows of the countless trees.

Zahara scanned the seemingly endless expanse of towering, lush grass, dotted with thick patches of beautiful wildflowers, and inquired, "Is this the place?"

Riku nodded. "Yes."

"It's…beautiful," Zahara whispered in awe. She had never ventured beyond the safety of the forest, and the open, treeless expanse was entirely new to her.

"You should see it at night," Riku replied with a weak smile.

"How did you find out about this place?" she wondered.

"When you're an outcast like me," he answered quietly. "You need a place to go and think sometimes. I stumbled across it one night by mistake."

"Outcast?" she prompted. He heaved a weary sigh, settling down on the sloping hillside. Her eyes following his every movement, she laid down on her back in the tall grass beside him.

At last, Riku answered, "The other vampires don't want anything to do with me. I doubt you'd understand, being your kind's heir and all."

"Actually," Zahara confessed, flashing him a sincere, understanding smile. "I do."

Without giving him time to respond, Zahara continued, "Before the sickness wiped them out, a lot of the other werewolves disliked me. When I was still a pup, my father was supposed to kill me."

Sitting up, Riku turned to stare at her with wide, astonished eyes. "Why?"

"I'm an imperfection in the bloodlines," she replied, gazing upward at the midday sky with a blank expression glued to her flawless, alabaster face. Fingering the bright magenta tips of her long bangs, she said, "I was born with fur of an unnatural color. All imperfections are supposed to be eliminated before they reach three years of age. But, when my mother died…my father couldn't do it. I was all he had left."

"But, if his mate hadn't died…he would have _killed_ you? All because your fur was a different color?"

Zahara's chin rose and fell in a grave nod.

"And I thought _I_ had it bad!" Riku exclaimed. "No offense to your kind, Zahara, but that's really kind of sick!"

"I know," she agreed. "I'm afraid I'll be overthrown once I'm leader because, if I ever an heir of my own, I could pass my defective genes on to my child. And the bloodlines would continue to be impure. The other werewolves don't want that." Quickly, she added, "Well, except Sheba. She doesn't judge anyone by how they look."

"As long as you have her, you're never alone," Riku said. "I have friends, too. They're the only vampires in my coven that will even talk to me…until I'm in trouble for whatever I've slipped up on at the moment. Then, my leader is a little _too _eager to talk to me. He hates me. And I don't even know why."

"I don't know why he would," Zahara replied, offering him a gentle smile as she met his fathomless, pastel gaze. "You're so kind."

He smiled. "Thank you, Zahara. That really means a lot to me."

"You're welcome."

"Now," he said. "Aren't there a few questions you wanted to ask me?"

Zahara nodded. "When I was little, a few of the older werewolves used to tell me stories about vampires. I want to know how much of it is true." She bit her lip and prompted, "Do you…torture your victims before you drain them?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "No. I've never met a vampire that tortured his or her victims. We kill them as quickly as possible before we drink, so they don't have to suffer from our venom."

"Your venom. Right," Zahara continued. With a questioning tilt of her head, she inquired, "If you bit a werewolf, would they turn into a vampire?"

Riku laughed. "I doubt it!" he exclaimed. "But, then again," he added. "No one really knows."

Without responding, Zahara leaned forward, her head close to his chest. With an inhuman flick of her ear, she quizzically cocked an eyebrow and withdrew.

"A heartbeat?" she pondered.

Riku smiled. "When I drain a victim, their blood enters my body," he explained. "If I don't feed at least once every two weeks, I'll start running out of blood. It could kill me, actually."

With a soft grin, Zahara extended a hand, resting a gentle palm on his cheek. A moment later, she withdrew and marveled, "And you're so _warm_, too."

"Well, I have blood, don't I?" he prompted, smiling. "Of course I'm warm."

"Are vampires really immortal?" she asked.

Riku shook his head. "No. We can die like anything else. We can even die from old age because, obviously, we grow like normal humans. No immortality here."

"Now, my turn," Riku said. "Do you always phase on the night of a full moon?"

"No, but werewolves tend to be the most active when there's a full moon," she answered.

As Riku's lips parted to ask his next question, a soft breeze drifted through the meadow, rustling the tall grass and flooding his senses with a magnificent scent. The aroma was unlike anything he had ever scented before, tantalizing and temptingly sweet. His lips sealing, he closed his eyes and inhaled the enticingly exotic aroma. He could taste the strangely sweet scent on his lips, as luscious in flavor as it was in fragrance.

Opening his eyes, Riku scanned the meadow for the source of such a fantastic scent, but the pasture was empty aside from he and Zahara. He was only vaguely aware of her quizzical expression as she watched him searching the towering grass for the aroma. Then, his eyes fell on her face, and he realized _she_ was the source of the delicious scent.

His eyes meeting hers, he recalled his conversation with Sora only a week before, the younger vampire's words replaying in his head:

_Suddenly, Riku asked, "How did you know she was the one?" _

_Sora cast his silver-haired friend a curious glance. "Why do you ask?" _

"_Just curious." _

"_Well," Sora began. "She…she smelled different." _

"_What do you mean?" Riku prompted. "She smells normal to me." _

"_There's a reason for that." Sora smiled. "To me, she smells…sweet. I've never smelled anything else quite like it." _

In that instant, Riku knew.

**A/N: A little too brief at the end, I think. But, it'll do, because I'll explain more in the next chapter. ^^ I'm really enjoying writing this, and I hope all my readers are enjoying it just as much. I'd LOVE a few reviews telling me what you think. ;) **

**::Sheba:: **


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Chapter Four **

A sliver of silver moon shedding a vague light on his path, Riku slipped through the darkness of the sleeping forest, his footsteps silent as he proceeded towards the towering mountainside he called home. The massive face of rock, glittering with moonlight, was within sight when a dark figure suddenly stepped in front of Riku, nearly colliding with him as the silver-haired vampire skidded to an abrupt halt.

"Riku." The lead vampire crossed his arms, his expression stern. "Where have you been?"

"I was on patrol," Riku answered.

"You should have been back hours ago!" Adam scolded, refraining from physically punishing the younger vampire. Wrinkling his nose, he prompted, "And why do you smell like a _dog_?"

"I was patrolling the border," Riku stated. "I must have picked it up there."

With a final scrutinizing scowl, Adam turned and vanished into the shadows, proceeding towards his roomy cavern for the night. With a muted sigh of relief, Riku smiled and continued, effortlessly and agilely climbing up the rock face to reach the cramped cave he shared with Sora and Kairi.

When Riku entered, the cavern was dark, but the dim glow of moonlight shone on Sora's dark blue eyes as the brunette lifted his head and smiled in greeting. Beside him, Kairi was asleep, her head rested on her slender forearms, her cream skin glowing with pale moonshine as her sides moved with each breath she took. Since her arrival in the coven, Riku had always viewed Kairi as immensely beautiful; when Sora had first announced his claim on the burgundy-haired girl, he had even felt a pang of jealousy. But, as he settled down on his makeshift mattress and pulled the elk hide cover over himself, an imagine of Zahara's flawless face drifting through his mind, Riku thought she was nothing in comparison to the beautiful, black-haired werewolf.

"And where have you been?" Sora prompted as Riku settled into a comfortable position on his bed, struggling to keep a cheerful grin from his face.

"I was on patrol," Riku lied.

"You were gone an awfully long time…"

"I…well…," Riku stammered. "I thought I saw a werewolf near the border, so I decided to stick around until I was sure she was gone."

Sora shot him a disbelieving glance. "Well," he said. "If you say so. Good night."

"Night."

With a contented sigh, Riku closed his eyes and pictured Zahara's alabaster face, her fuchsia eyes gleaming and her features lit by her carefree smile. She was perfect, he decided. Tracing his lower lip with the tip of his tongue, he savored the luscious taste the breeze had left on his face. Her sweet, delicious odor was clinging to his skin and clothing, her presence never leaving him.

"_Now,"_ he thought. _"If only I could get her to love me." _

_

* * *

_The heat of the late summer afternoon was smoldering, its golden sunshine pooling on the sloping hillside as Riku laid down lazily in the tall grass, sunlight dancing on his lush, silver mane. He would have been content to lurk in the cool shadows of the forest on such a hot day, but his desire to see Zahara again had driven him out of the shade of the trees and into the open pasture, where her scent from the previous day was beginning to fade. He didn't expect to see Zahara in the meadow, especially on such a smoldering day, but the faint hope of seeing her again had dragged him into the sweltering heat of the open field.

Closing his eyes, the heat of the day forgotten, Riku imagined the black-haired young woman running through the towering grass to greet him, any breeze the afternoon offered carrying her magnificent aroma to him. The delicious scent of her skin must have veiled the most superb drink of blood on the face of the earth. She, as a person, was desirable in his eyes, but it was the overwhelming urge to taste her blood that he found the most peculiar. He, like all vampires, had an uncanny sense of control; even the most tempting aroma of spilled blood could not falter his self-control. But, Zahara, and the wonderful scent shrouding her and the blood she carried, had changed all that.

Swiping his tongue over his lower lip, Riku could still vaguely taste the delicious flavor left by Zahara's scent. With a contented sigh, he inhaled, savoring the final glimpses of her scent that lingered in the meadow, when a surprisingly fresh odor hit him. Opening his eyes, he smiled, his eyes alive with an eager gleam as he spotted a massive, black and magenta wolf bounding through the field to greet him with a wagging tail.

Zahara was as magnificent a wolf as she was a woman, her markings beautifully exotic. Her lush, black coat was stained with bright magenta, fuchsia spilling down her back and forming rings around her thick tail. Through a scruff of black, human-like hair, bangs tipped with magenta, Riku glimpsed only one of her exotic eyes before a tremor shook her and she returned to her familiar human embodiment.

"Riku!" she greeted gleefully, flashing him a cheerful grin. "I was hoping I'd find you here."

"Hello, Zahara," he replied, returning her friendly smile. He felt an immediate rush of joy flood through him at the sight of her, glad to see her again.

Settling down beside him, Zahara began to pant, her smooth lips parted, her chest heaving with each breath she took, exhausted from the effort of her relentless, lightning-quick dash through the forest.

"It sure is hot today," she complained, heaving a weary sigh. Leaning up on her elbows, she discarded her leather jacket, shoving the heavy fabric aside.

"Well, if you're interested," Riku began, smiling. "There's a pond about half a mile from here. It's small, very secluded. We can go for a swim and no one will see us."

Zahara bit her lip. Sensing her hesitation, Riku added, "It's in the shade, so the water is always cool. And it's very clean, too."

She smiled. "Sounds nice. Let's go." Staggering to her feet, she grabbed her jacket and tied it around her thin waist, wiping her moist forehead with the back of one fair-skinned hand.

His hand brushing hers as he rose to stand beside her, Riku flashed her an irresistible smile, his pointed fangs gleaming in the blinding sunlight. The brisk contact sent a jolt of excitement through him, though the touch had lasted no longer than a few seconds. Keeping close to her side, he began escorting her in the direction of the small pond, not far from the sloping hillside outside the forest's boundaries.

The pond was hidden in a patch of forest beyond the pasture where the two had met, its crystalline waters cast in shadow from the overhead branches of towering oak trees. Stooping at the pond's edge, Zahara dipped her fingertips into the invitingly cool water, longing to wade into the shallows and cool down after her long walk through the forest in search of Riku.

When Zahara turned, she was greeted by a sight so unexpected that it immediately slackened her jaw and left her eyes wide, her lips parting to form an O of surprise. Riku had discarded his shirt, the garment draped neatly over a moss-covered boulder on the bank. His well-muscled chest was firm, his abdominal muscle hardened and shaped by his long days of surviving in the wilderness, often under harsh conditions and unforgiving elements. Zahara was surprised to find herself admiring him, marveling his impressive build, his magnificent, silver mane, his temptingly kissable skin, and his fathomless, ice blue eyes. He was, without a doubt, one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on.

Regaining her composure, Zahara checked herself and straightened. "So…undergarments, then?"

Riku nodded. "Well," he added, thinking quickly. "Unless it makes you uncomfortable. I can put my shirt back on."

"No, no," Zahara protested. "It's fine." Grinning, she added, "Trust me. When you live with a bunch of male werewolves, you see quite a few shirtless men. The morons think they're proving something by strutting around camp with no shirt on. They're all muscle, alright. All muscle, no brain." She rolled her eyes. "And Sheba fell head-over-heels in love with one of the dumbest ones."

She flashed Riku a playful grin before proceeding to tug her white, strapless top over her head, draping it over a nearby branch alongside her jacket. Stooping, she untied her converses and carelessly tossed them aside before unfastening her jeans and stepping out of her black pants, adding them to the pile of clothing weighing down the tree branch, leaving herself clad in nothing but her undergarments. Riku, meanwhile, had stripped himself down to his black boxers. For a moment, the two watched one another timidly, both embarrassed to be seeing the other in such little clothing. But, as the burning sunlight smoldered on their bare skin, the cool, crystal waters of the pond lapping invitingly at the mossy bank, the two quickly decided the discomfiture could be ignored.

As she waded into the shallows, the cold water enveloping her slender legs and petite waist, Zahara smiled, glad to escape the sweltering heat. At either end of the pond, a tiny stream trickled, continually bringing forth and carrying away the cool, crystalline water. With a contented sigh, she settled down on one of the smooth, dark gray rocks at the mouth of the stream flowing into the pond, smiling as the cold water washed over her pale legs. The shade, too, was an instant relief from the smoldering warmth of the sun. She was so relaxed in the new environment that she could have fallen asleep.

Her eyelids lazily drifting closed, she was jolted back into her usual state of alertness by a sudden blast of freezing water directed at her face. With a gasp of surprise, Zahara leapt to her feet and exclaimed, "Oh, that's cold!"

"Going swimming is no fun if you just sit there the whole time." Riku laughed, flicking a cold shower of icy water droplets at her alabaster face. With a lighthearted giggle, she leapt to her feet and, with cupped hands, returned the splash of freezing water.

Like two children, Zahara and Riku chased one another through the water, laughing hysterically as they splashed and showered one another with the icy pond water. After two straight hours of the tiring activity, they left the water to warm themselves on the shore, chilled from their long swim. Following her every movement from the corner of his eye, Riku watched as Zahara tilted her head back, closing her eyes as she basked in a patch of golden sunshine seeping through the overhead canopy of trees, revealing the smooth, pristine plane of her fair throat, her skin pulsing unnoticeably as blood rushed past her jugular. Every fiber of his being screeched for him to leap on her and sink his fangs into the tender, virgin flesh of her deliciously tantalizing throat, to taste her blood and surrender to her mouthwatering aroma.

Desperate to escape her delicious odor, Riku stood and smiled in a manner that was almost apologetic. "I'm supposed to be on afternoon patrol duty. If I don't get back, the others will notice I'm gone."

Zahara returned his solemn smile. "But…we'll see each other again soon, right?"

A tinge of joy sparked in his eyes, lighting up his face. "Of course."

"When should I meet you? And where?" she inquired. He bit his lip, cocking an eyebrow, pondering her question for a moment.

"On the border, near the river where I saw you yesterday, there's an oak tree. It's very old, and there's a hole in its trunk where it's rotten all the way through. I'll leave you a note there."

She grinned. "Alright." Curiously, she prompted, "You have paper?"

"Yes." He nodded. "When one of us drains a hiker, we take their belongings." He smiled a small, embarrassed grin. "There's no sense in wasting them, after all. It's surprising how many of them carry notepads around."

"Do any of them ever escape?" Zahara asked. Her eyes alive with a curious gleam, she stood, cocking her head questioningly. "Or put up a fight?"

"We can't let them escape," Riku answered. "They'd tell others. The human world would find out about us. Once a vampire goes after a human, it's a fight easily won. They're not strong enough to fight us off, and they're too panicky to outrun us." He shrugged. "Humans are stupid sometimes."

When he received no response, Riku glanced over his shoulder and, to his surprise, saw no trace of the werewolf, except for her discarded attire, still hanging loosely over the tree branch. Turning, he scanned the clearing surrounding the pond, searching the shadows for her.

"Zahara?" he called tentatively.

With astonishing speed and suddenness, Zahara leapt from the coverage of the trees, tackling him into the pond's shallows. Yelping in surprise, he crashed to the ground, both of them drenched as soon as they landed in the crystalline pool. For a moment, he lay on his back in silence, gasping for breath, winded by the sudden weight of her falling on top of him. She laughed, a gleeful, beautiful sound.

"You should have seen your face!" she exclaimed. The two had landed in an awkward position, her tiny waist lain between his legs, her face even with his, but she seemed to think nothing of it as she giggled at the shocked expression plastered to his features.

"Zahara!" Riku gasped, finally managing a soft smile. "You scared me!"

"Well, obviously!" she laughed, flicking the tip of his nose with her forefinger. Noting their position, she sat up, taking a step back to stand by the pond's bank, shaking herself dry, her wet hair showering him with water.

Staggering to his feet, Riku stepped onto the bank and examined his reflection. "Oh no," he groaned, mentally slapping himself. "I'm a mess! Not to mention I'm soaking wet! They'll know I was up to something!"

"Simple." She smiled. "Just tell them the truth. You went for a swim because it was hot. They don't have to know where, or that you were with me."

"They'll smell you on me," Riku pointed out, frowning. Zahara craned her neck forward, her nose twitching as she sniffed his shoulder.

"Nope," she argued. "You washed the scent off."

With a deep inhale, Riku realized she was right and smiled. "Good." Grabbing his jeans, he tugged them on over his wet boxers, beginning to redress himself. Following his example, Zahara crossed the clearing to gather her discarded clothing.

Her wet undergarments soaking her shirt and jeans, she grimaced. "This is uncomfortable," she griped. "Next time you eat a hiker, be sure to check their bag for towels."

He laughed. "Sure thing."

For a moment, there was a comfortable silence, her exotic gaze boring into his. A hopeless smile on his face, he nodded and spoke, "Well, I should get going."

She returned his smile, unaware of the warmth and affection bubbling behind his grin. "We don't have to say goodbye yet," she said. "Let's walk back to the forest together."

Again, he smiled.

**A/N: Aw, Riku is in love with Zahara. ^^ Hehe. It's like…vampire imprinting. XD The irony, eh? Anyways, please review. ;) **

**::Sheba:: **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Chapter Five**

The air was still and silent in the small clearing Zahara and her fellow werewolves called home, scattered with elk hide hammocks, the alpha's stone chamber, and a few piles of smoldered branches and black ashes left from the previous night's fires. A chill breeze drifted through the clearing, Zahara's hammock swaying in the soft wind, reminding her that a cool autumn would soon replace the smoldering heat of the past two weeks, the days strangely warm for the time of year.

The camp was empty and utterly silent, aside from the distant chirping of a bird. After spending the past two days basking in the warmth of Riku's companionship, the quiet bothered Zahara. She wished Sheba, her beloved half-sister, would have been in camp to talk. Regardless of the situation, Sheba was always someone Zahara could talk to, even if Zahara wanted to talk about vampires. It was a struggle to keep her meetings with Riku a secret; more than anything, Zahara wanted to let vivid descriptions of their encounters and conversations spill from her tongue. She wanted to tell Sheba about her silver-haired savior, and how strangely gentle and kind-hearted he was. She wanted to tell her sister about her quiet day with him in the distant pasture, about the way he had looked into her eyes and smiled, about their trip to the pond the day before.

But, as much as she wanted to tell Sheba about her encounters with the blue-eyed vampire, Zahara knew she couldn't. Not even Sheba, who she trusted with her each and every secret, could know about Riku. Her immense liking for the vampire would outrage her fellow werewolves and, above all, her father. Just the thought of how disgraced Riley would be if he discovered her friendship with Riku sent a shudder down Zahara's spine.

With a distressed sigh that expressed her dislike of keeping secrets, Zahara nestled further into the warmth of her elk hide hammock, which shielded her from the sharp breezes of the late summer afternoon, and closed her eyes, imagining Riku's smiling face, framed by his tousled, silver mane and inset with his fathomless, ice blue eyes. Oh, how she loved those gorgeous eyes.

Blinking through the daze of infatuation, Zahara sat up, her hammock swaying with her movement. She scolded herself for allowing her imagination to wander, reminding herself that, no matter how much she liked him, Riku was a vampire. Her father would have isolated her in the camp for the rest of his leadership if he knew she and Riku were friends; she couldn't imagine what would happen if he discovered that his only daughter, the light of his otherwise solemn life, was in love with a vampire!

Giving her head a firm shake to clear her thoughts, Zahara laid down and tried to rest while she waited for Sheba to return from a long walk with Storm, soon to be her mate, and the other wolves to return from an early hunt. But, no matter how many times she scolded herself and tried to clear her thoughts, her mind always returned to Riku. Picturing again his flawless face, inset with depthless eyes and a handsome smile, she felt a soft fluttering in her chest, her hand instinctively following the erratic heartbeat to clench her chest in surprise. It was an unfamiliar and foreign sensation and, for a moment, Zahara thought she was ill. Before she could decide for sure, a slender, dark chocolate-haired figure slipped from the shadows surrounding the camp and, with a broad smile, crossed the clearing to sit on the edge of Zahara's hammock.

"All alone again?" Sheba prompted.

Zahara shrugged. "Daddy won't let me go hunting with the others. He's afraid I'll get kicked by an elk."

Sheba frowned, but her expression was quickly lit by another grin. "Are you excited?"

Glancing at her smiling half-sister, Zahara asked, "About what?"

With an exaggeratedly exasperated look, Sheba exclaimed, "Hello! About my mating ceremony, of course!"

Zahara's eyebrows shifted, her eyes widening. She had all but forgotten about the ceremony due to take place in a month and a half, when her sister would be announced as Storm's mate, and the black-haired young man would bite her throat to leave his mating mark on her neck, telling any who came near his new mate that she was his and his alone.

Sheba frowned. "You...forgot?" Sometimes, Zahara despised how observant her half-sister was. It was hard to keep secrets from Sheba, when she never ceased to watch and listen and put the slightest of hints together until she reached a conclusion.

Zahara bit her lip in embarrassment. "Um. Maybe."

"Well." Sheba smiled. "As long as you don't forget to be there, it's alright with me. It wouldn't be the same without my little sister there. You'd miss seeing Storm bite my neck. Like a vampire." She grinned a lopsided smile. Among the werewolves, Sheba was the only one besides Zahara who didn't refer to the vampires as leeches or blood-sucking parasites.

At the word "vampire," Zahara grew oddly quiet, her thoughts immediately crowded with images of Riku. Sheba opened her mouth to question her silence, when Storm appeared at the edge of camp and came to greet them.

Flashing the two she-wolves a gorgeous, white-fanged smile, he gazed at his future mate for a long moment before nodding to Zahara. "Hello, Zahara," he greeted briefly, before he stooped to kiss Sheba. It was all the youngest of the wolves could do to keep from grimacing at the sight and slightly revolting sound of the wet, messy gesture that was more licking than kissing. When he ran out of breath and parted from her mouth, lips moist from their elaborate display of affection, he wasted no time in dipping his head to nuzzle underneath her chin. She giggled, rubbing her head against his for a brief moment before resuming their wet kiss.

"Well," Zahara said, blinking. "If you two don't mind, I think I'll be going now."

As she stood and left her hammock, Zahara saw an abrupt opportunity to escape the camp, to go and check the tree that Riku had described to her, rooted to the border between the territories of his kind and her own, and see if he had left her a message in its rotting trunk. Glancing over her shoulder at Sheba and Storm, who were holding one another as they busied themselves with the other's lips and tongue, she smiled and turned to flee into the forest, only to find herself faced with the returning hunting party, nearly bumping into her father's broad chest as he entered. Behind him, Rexy and Neal were carrying a partial elk carcass, enough to generously feed the three wolves who hadn't gone on the hunt.

Smiling, he greeted her with a nod, extending a rough hand to pat her head as if she were a child and not a seventeen-year-old. "Hello, Zahara," he said. Studying the direction she had been heading in, he cocked a pale blonde eyebrow and inquired, "Where are you going?"

"I want to go for a walk," Zahara answered, her voice almost pleading as she stared up at the towering man with beseeching, watery eyes. "Please, Daddy?"

He chuckled, patting her head again. "If you want to go for a walk, then go. Just be back by moonrise, sooner if you don't want Neal to eat your share of the catch."

Then, without another word, Riley turned and left, shouting orders at his betas as Zahara slipped silently into the trees.

Following the dim fragments of her own scent, it wasn't hard for Zahara to find the narrow, bubbling creek where she had stumbled across Riku by chance two days before. The tiny forest clearing was empty, to Zahara's dismay; absentmindedly, she had hoped to repeat her chance encounter with the silver-haired vampire and see him again.

As she turned to follow the river upstream in search of the aging tree Riku had described, a familiar caw caught her attention. She glanced at the treetops, scanning their branches for signs of life, when the raven she had chased through the forest a few days before suddenly lighted on her shoulder, folding its massive, black wings. She smiled, scratching its sleek, jet black head in greeting.

"Hello there," she greeted. Continuing with her search, she began to follow the stream, scanning its banks for the ancient tree with a gaping hole in its trunk, desperate to see at least a sign of Riku's presence once more. As she walked, the raven kept her company, perched on her shoulder with folded wings.

After fifteen minutes of walking alongside the stream, her eyes darting to and fro in constant search of the rotten tree trunk and any vampires that might be patrolling their carefully guarded border, Zahara discovered that the river changed course and jutted farther into vampire territory. Without the stream to guide her, the only sign marking the border was the faded scent markers of the werewolves, at least three weeks old and practically unnoticeable.

Another five minutes of walking ticked past, the trees beginning to thicken, until there were only narrow gaps between their towering trunks, their roots a single tangle on the lifeless, barren ground below. The overhead canopy of thick, twisting branches blocked out any trace of sunshine, the forest cast in shadow and menacingly dark. When she had walked to the neutral territory outside of the forest with Riku, his warm smile and the gleaming curiosity of his eyes had shed light on the entire wood, and it hadn't seemed so dark, deserted, and daunting. On Zahara's shoulder, the raven hunkered down, crooning to itself.

Zahara smiled and scratched the raven's head as she continued. "It's alright," she soothed. "We're on werewolf territory. Nothing can hurt us here." As it gazed at her with wide, black eyes, there was an intelligent gleam in the raven's expression, as if it had listened to and understood her words. There was something strangely familiar about those gleaming, dark eyes, a chillingly recognizable gaze. Zahara knew those dark, knowing eyes from somewhere, but she couldn't remember from where.

Pushing the thought aside, Zahara resumed her search, and spotted the ancient oak immediately. It was a towering, giant tree, taller than all the others and so wide around that Zahara couldn't have wrapped her arms but half way around its trunk. Its blackened bark was rough, crumbling and cracked in a multitude of places. And, just as Riku had described, there was a gaping hole in its base.

Stooping, Zahara peered into the tiny chamber, scattered with tufts of fur and downy feathers, twigs and small stones, and even bits of bone. More than one small animal had resorted to the tree for shelter; Zahara guessed, from the remains of fur and bone, that an owl had recently fed inside the cavern, after a family of small birds had left their nest, leaving behind traces of feathers and twigs. But, it was odd for an assortment of stones to find themselves inside a tree.

A brisk wind tousled Zahara's hair, a sudden movement within the tree's hole catching her eye. Tucked beneath a round stone, worn smooth by the stream, was a folded square of white paper, a message from Riku. Zahara smiled. She immediately understood that, as Riku had passed by the stream to leave his message in the ancient tree, he had grabbed a handful of stones to keep any note he left her from blowing away in the increasingly windy months.

Extending a hand to take the message, Zahara noted how the oak tree's trunk was rotten all the way through, leaving a perfect, circular window on either side of its base, on either side of the border. It was, without a doubt, the perfect place for Riku to leave her messages without them being uncovered by someone else.

Unfolding the square of paper, her name written in a clean script on the front flap, Zahara read the message to herself: "Hello, Zahara."

Her lips parted in a yelp of surprise as a nearby voice suddenly read the words aloud, followed by a lighthearted chuckle.

An overhead branch creaked in protest as Riku leapt down from his hiding place, landing neatly on his feet beneath the oak tree, its lowest limbs laced with crisp, brown leaves that had never fallen from years before. With a warm, handsome smile, Riku met Zahara's gaze, his alluring, ice blue eyes finding her own and sending the same unusual flutter from that morning through her chest. She swallowed a squeak of surprise at the strange feeling, its significance foreign to her.

"You came." His voice was strangely saturated with relief, as if he hadn't been expecting her appearance any more than she had been expecting his presence in the treetop.

Regaining her calm composure, Zahara smiled and replied, "Of course." Glancing at a massive branch above her, still swaying from the sudden freedom from Riku's weight, she prompted, "How long have you been waiting?"

"A few hours," he answered, shrugging. He grinned, his eyes portraying his embarrassment. "I just...really wanted to see you again."

She smiled again. "Don't worry. I wanted to see you again, too." An oddly joyous light filled his eyes in response to her confession.

"Well," she said, flashing him a charming grin. "What do you want to do today? It's too cold to go swimming again today."

"I don't know." Riku frowned. "Well, what do werewolves do for fun?"

"Actually," Zahara answered. "I can't remember the last time I had fun with the other wolves. We don't really have time for anything but work, and I'm not even allowed to go hunting with the others. Unless they're hunting rabbits."

"Why not?" he prompted.

"My dad's afraid I'll get kicked in the head," she replied. "You know, a kick from an elk can kill a wolf. Even a werewolf." She sighed. "He just...doesn't want anything to happen to me, I guess."

"Well, I can't blame him." Riku smiled. "I'd want to protect you, too."

Again, she felt the odd fluttering sensation in her chest, the strange and quizzical feeling she didn't understand.

"When I want to get away from all the pressure of being the alpha's daughter, I go for walks," she admitted. "That's the most fun I get now."

Riku's eyes were intensely curious, eager to know, an exact replica of his expression two days before. "Don't you have friends to do things with?"

She laughed. "Haven't we been over this before, Riku?" she replied. "Being the alpha's daughter doesn't immediately make me popular among the other wolves. Most of them don't even like me...all but Sheba."

"And you've never done anything with her?" Riku prompted.

Zahara looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm sure I have," she stated. "I just can't think of anything right now."

"Why don't you think about it while we walk?" Smiling, he waved a hand in the direction of the distant meadow, where neither vampire or werewolf reigned.

She returned his smile and nodded.

"Riku."

Opening one eye lazily, the silver-haired vampire glanced at Zahara. "Hmm?"

"There was one thing."

With a tired yawn, he leaned up on his elbows and turned to her. "One what?"

"There was one thing I used to do with Sheba for fun. Back when we were just puppies."

The inquiring gleam returning to his pale blue gaze, Riku sat up and prompted, "What?"

"We weren't allowed out of camp until we were almost fourteen," Zahara replied. "So, to entertain ourselves, we used to make swings out of old hides. When a hide gets old, it's surprisingly stretchy, so we could tie them to trees." She shrugged. "We were kids. We stopped doing that when we were about ten."

"Anything else?"

"Well, when we were really young, maybe five or six, we'd wrestle. Most puppies do," she continued. "And we'd even play tug of war." She grinned. "We even built a tent out of an old elk hide once. You wouldn't believe how much we enjoyed elk hide as kids. Not to mention that we'd try to eat it when we were through playing." Again, she shrugged. "I never figured out why."

Oblivious to the mischief boiling behind his blue eyes or the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, Zahara settled into a more comfortable position on the hillside for an evening nap, the comfortable warmth of the sunshine and the soft grass beneath her making her sleepy. Resting her head on her folded forearms, she closed her eyes, when an abrupt weight tackled her.

Riku laughed, thrilled by her shriek of surprise as he pounced on her, being careful to keep a majority of his weight off of her seemingly fragile form. He smiled, meeting her astonished, magenta gaze, eyes wide with her surprise.

"Riku!" she scolded. "What are you doing?"

"Playing with you," he explained, still smiling. "You said you used to wrestle with your sister for fun."

"Oh, really?" She cocked an eyebrow at him. Interpreting her expression as disapproval, Riku frowned and withdrew, embarrassedly turning away as he settled back down in the grass, laying on his side.

Then, she leapt on him with a distinctly canine bark of glee, her hips swishing to and fro in a gesture strangely reminiscent to a dog wagging its tail. She grinned a beautiful, perfect smile on smooth, pastel lips, her arms straddling his shoulders, and his heart melted.

"Hey, no fair!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly.

Rolling, he effortlessly turned her onto her back, taking care to not cause her any harm, and scratched underneath her chin absentmindedly. Though completely human in appearance, she was so canine-like in her play that he couldn't resist petting her like a domestic dog. She giggled in response and he smirked.

"Oh?" he teased, leaning down to stare into her exotic eyes, his gaze seething with mischief. "Is the heir to werewolves _ticklish_?"

Holding her down with one strong arm, he poked her in the stomach with his free hand, his other carefully grasping her shoulder. She squeaked pleasurably in response to his touch, a sound much like that of a puppy.

"I think she is," Riku pestered, scratching her bare stomach and receiving a light giggle in response. Digging his gentle fingers into her ribs, he smiled joyously as she broke into hysterical laughter.

"Oh, Riku, quit it!" she laughed, struggling to escape his hold. When she was all but gasping for breath, he finally released her from his hold, ceasing to tickle her ribs. She flopped down in the tall grass, her chest heaving with each pant.

Watching the evening breeze stir her jet black hair, her magenta-tipped bangs strewn across the left side of her face, he smiled. He followed every soft heave of her chest, his gaze trailing upward until his eyes fell on her slender, pale throat, watching each minute pulsation of her jugular as blood flooded through it. He was enveloped by her magnificent scent, the deliciously tempting aroma of her blood. He swiped his tongue over his lower lip, tasting her rich fragrance. Again, he licked his lips, savoring the luscious flavor, and felt his pupils dilate with desire. More than anything, he wanted to dip his head and feed, drink in the magnificent flavor and taste it on his tongue as he savored her mouthwatering aroma. He wanted to drink her blood, and, as she laid on her back in the tall grass with her eyes closed and vulnerable throat completely exposed to him, she would have been an easy victim.

But, he couldn't.

He wanted to taste and savor her blood, to feel the warm, crimson liquid flow over his tongue and down his throat, quenching his thirst. He wanted her blood with a burning passion, but there was a single thing he wanted more than the satisfaction of a drink from Zahara's throat. There was only a single thing that kept him from springing on her then, that kept him from sinking his fangs into her throat and injecting his potent venom into her bloodstream, that kept him from killing her. The one thing he wanted more than anything else, with every fiber of his being: her.

"Riku?" It was magnificent to hear his name slip from her smooth lips, to see her smile as she waved a fair hand in front of his face, pulling him from his trance. Blinking, he watched the motion of her hand for a split second, before he seized it gently in one of his.

He smiled. "Zahara," he whispered, his eyes alive with more emotion than ever before. "Will you meet me here again tomorrow?"

**A/N: I'm SO sorry for the late update! I've had writer's block for an entire month, and this guy from my school has been texting me every minute of every day for awhile now, so it's been hard to type with the phone vibrating nonstop. And, you know what? The phone finally broke (I don't know if it was from the overload of text messages or what). **

**So, Thursday was my birthday. I had a party last Saturday, and it was pretty fun. At least I got enough birthday money to buy a new cell phone to replace my old one (don't buy Motorola Rivals; they're crappy phones and pretty much terminate themselves within a year). You know what would be a GREAT birthday present? A nice review (with a complete thought in it, please) or fanart! :D I do love fanart...I spend hours looking at it. x3 **

**So, review. :3 It would be very much appreciated. Constructive criticism is also welcomed. I hope you're enjoying this fanfic so far. ;) The story really takes off in the next chapter. **

**::Sheba:: **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Chapter Six**

The tall grass blanketing the bank of the quiet stream was a soft, pale green carpet beneath Zahara's petite form as she fumbled with a fragile, white flower, twirling its stem between her fingers and humming softly to herself as Sheba carried on about her upcoming mating ceremony, worrying over each and every minute detail of the ritual. Zahara laid on her stomach, crushing the soft blanket of grass beneath her, leaning up on her elbows with one hand holding her chin, the other busily twirling the flower, her legs swaying to and fro in the air above her.

Her thoughts far from the narrow clearing in the forest, where the quiet bubbling of the stream was drowned out by Sheba's fervent excitement, Zahara stared at the white flower in her fingers, continuing her joyful humming. She scarcely noticed as Sheba motioned excitedly with her hands as she spoke, an assortment of red and white flowers scattered in front of her. Normally, Zahara would have been excited about taking part in the ceremony plans, but, as she gazed at the flower in her hand, her thoughts were with Riku.

A smile on her pristine face, Zahara closed her eyes, imagining the vampire's handsome face, inset with his fathomless and always thoughtful eyes, an ice blue gaze that set her heart and soul on fire. His piercing gaze, his lush, pale silver mane, his exuberant smile...he was flawless, with an ideal personality to match. Imagining his warm smile, smooth lips upturned in a soft grin, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Would his kiss be harsh and hungry, his teeth grating against her lower lip, as his being a vampire suggested? Or would his kiss match his personality, lips soft and gentle on hers?

"So, what do you think? Red or white flowers?" The sudden question erupted Zahara's fantasy, dragging her back to reality. Blinking, she stared blankly at Sheba's face for a moment before answering, "White."

Sheba frowned. "You don't seem to be all here today, Zahara," she noted. "Is something...bothering you?"

"No, no." Zahara shook her head, dropping the white flower among the others that were strewn across the ground in front of her. "I'm just thinking."

"What are you thinking about?" Sheba prompted.

"It's nothing." Stealing a quick glance at the late afternoon sky, Zahara stood and turned to leave. "But," she added, finding the incident a perfect excuse for exiting. "I could use...a little alone time, if you don't mind."

"Oh." Sheba lowered her hazel gaze to the ground, scattered with an assortment of flowers, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. "But...we can finish planning the ceremony tomorrow, right?"

Zahara smiled. "I promise."

Without another word, Zahara vanished into the trees, leaving Sheba alone in the small clearing, surrounded by scattered flower petals. With a saddened sigh, Sheba twirled the stem of a red rose between her fingers, watching as a single petal detached itself from the bloom and fell to light on the grass below.

"You said that same thing...yesterday..."

* * *

The afternoon sun warm on his skin, Riku laid with outstretched arms in the quiet meadow, an occasional breeze stirring the tall grass around him. Listening intently for Zahara's arrival, he allowed his eyelids to drift closed, the darkness behind them engraved with a perfect image of the werewolf's pristine face, graced by her alluring, exotic eyes and stunning smile.

Opening his eyes, Riku came face-to-face with the image from his imagination.

"Whoa!" he gasped, sitting up. Zahara smiled, giggling at his surprise.

"Zahara," he scolded, his eyebrows furrowing. "Don't scare me like that."

She laughed. "I'm here," she said. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's alright," he answered, smiling. "I don't mind waiting."

Zahara laid down in the tall grass, a warm breeze tousling her jet black hair. "So, what do you want to do today?

* * *

A thick carpet of silver fog blanketed the sleeping forest when Riku woke, blinking drowsily in the thin light of dawn. A cool morning breeze invaded the small cavern he shared with Sora and Kairi, sending a shiver down his spine, his skin prickling with cold. Grabbing the hem of his elk hide quilt, deserted at the foot of his bed, he enveloped himself in its warmth and rolled onto his back, his thoughts immediately flooded with images of Zahara as he gazed upward at the cavern's low ceiling.

No matter where he went or what he did, Riku found that Zahara was always on his mind. He waited eagerly for her in their meadow every afternoon, anticipating the moment when she would arrive and greet him with a smile, a captivating and beautiful smile. Wherever he went, her smile followed him, greeting him each time he closed his eyes, imagining his beloved Zahara. That smile walked with him in his dreams, guiding him through his worst nightmares.

Riku sighed and shook his head. _"I'm obsessed," _he thought. _"Obsessed with a werewolf. Obsessed with the future alpha__ werewolf!" _

With another sigh, Riku smiled. He loved Zahara. As unbelievable as it was, he, a vampire, was utterly and irrevocably in love with a werewolf. And a werewolf destined to be alpha at that! Shaking his head at his own stupidity, he rolled onto his side and sighed again, reaching for the dark shape of a notebook through the dim light of the cavern.

Opening the worn sketchpad, Riku examined the sketch drawn on the first page: a few small birds darting about a bush. The notebook had belonged to a young hiker, unaware of his approach from behind as he stalked her hungrily through the trees, watching as she paused every few steps to examine the wildlife around her. The intricate drawings taking up the first few pages of the sketchpad had intrigued Riku, especially a beautifully detailed image of a wolf drinking at a lakeside. A gifted artist himself, Riku had held on to the sketchpad, using its paper for both the occasional doodle and his frequent notes to Zahara.

Flipping through the used pages to a clean sheet, Riku groped the stone floor for one of his pencils, finally finding one. A small smile tugging at his lips, he began to sketch the outline of Zahara's face, framed by each carefully drawn strand of her silky, jet black mane, followed by her gleaming, wolf-like eyes. He trailed the pencil over the page, adding her neck and shoulders, shading in her tribal tattoos. A smirk tugging at his lips, he added the most important detail of her facial complex: her warm, beautiful smile, smooth lips parted to reveal the pointed, snowy white canine teeth beneath.

Smiling at his masterpiece, a perfect image of a perfect woman, Riku turned the page. He scribbled a quick note to Zahara in cursive on the clean sheet, before he carefully tore it from its place and folded it in half. He wrote her name in a neat script on the outside of the message before tucking it into the pocket of his worn jeans and sitting the dulled pencil aside, leaving the sketchpad on his makeshift mattress as he stood, straightening his yellow and white vest and its underlying black shirt.

Leaping nimbly from the cavern, Riku landed in a crouch on the mossy ground below, his dark form swathed in silver fog as he straightened, scanning the seemingly deserted clearing in the early morning light. He was alone in the narrow gap between the towering rock face and the dense forest beyond; it would be at least another hour before the other vampires woke.

_"Good," _he thought. _"I'll have plenty of time to hunt before I see Zahara." _

With a satisfied nod, he turned and vanished into the trees, his silver hair mingling with the thick carpet of fog that blanketed the forest, his dark form a silhouette in the dim morning light.

Standing in the mouth of the cavern she shared with her two friends, Nikki watched Riku leave, narrowing her eyes in suspicion, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "And where is _he _off to so early in the morning?" she exclaimed aloud.

In the back of the cavern, one of Nikki's fellow vampires, Kaileigh, groaned and rolled over on her bed. "Who?" she moaned.

"Riku!" Nikki spat, pointing to the trees outside. "He's leaving!"

"Hunting?" Kaileigh suggested.

"This early?" Nikki snorted. "I'm going to go check it out."

Kaileigh pulled her quilt over her head, a thick blanket crafted from a mountain lion's soft pelt. "You do that."

Energetically, Nikki slipped out of the cavern and leaped onto a narrow ledge that protruded from the rock face halfway between her makeshift bedroom and the one Riku shared with Sora and Kairi. With another agile leap, she cleared the distance between the ledge and the cavern, landing on silent feet on the narrow ridge outside the cave entrance.

Without a sound, Nikki slipped inside the cavern, the sun casting a dim light on the dark stone, catching on the silver binding of a sketchpad left on Riku's empty bed. Her dark chocolate eyes gleaming with interest, Nikki grabbed the notebook, carefully pushing back its cover and flipping through its pages. The first few pages were all adorned with beautiful sketches of animals, a cluster of birds gathered in a thorn bush, a wolf drinking by a lakeside, an eagle soaring past the sun. As she flipped through the sketchpad, Nikki noticed the many jagged edges left along the book's binding where someone had torn many of its pages out, but she brushed it off as nothing and continued browsing the pictures. Nikki paused to examine a beautiful sketch of a raven lighting on a tree branch before she turned the page and froze.

The sketch was of a beautiful, black-haired young woman, bearing bright and joyous eyes and a warm smile.

Cocking an eyebrow, Nikki stared at the image of the unfamiliar teen, enviously examining the pristine face drawn on the page; whoever this stranger was, she was painfully pretty. Remembering her mission, Nikki wondered who the young woman was. Having witnessed his artistic talent before, she knew Riku had drawn the magnificent image.

Then, she smirked.

There was a simple explanation behind Riku's recent strange behavior, his sudden habit of disappearing from camp early each morning and not returning until late at night. He was, without a doubt, with a woman, she decided. Chortling to herself, Nikki returned her attention to the sketch, and immediately gasped at a minute detail she hadn't noticed during her initial observation of the image.

Beneath each of the young woman's cheerful eyes, four small circles were drawn, shaded in lightly and growing gradually smaller as they drew nearer the inner corners of her eyes. Nikki had seen those distinct tattoos before: they were the one-of-a-kind tribal markings of a female alpha werewolf. Eyes wide with astonishment, Nikki tucked the sketchpad under her arm and turned to leave the cavern.

* * *

The forest was cast in an eerie silence, the trees swathed with a blanket of silver fog. In this haunting land, a daunting forest from a nightmare, Riku was a ghost, weaving through the silent trees, a cougar on the prowl.

His stomach griping with thirst, Riku hungrily recalled his last meal; it had been over a week since he had last eaten. With the increasingly cool weather, fewer and fewer hikers were visiting the wood, leaving the parched vampires with only two choices: feeding on the bitter and distasteful blood of the forest's wildlife, or risking a precarious trip to the nearest city to feast on an unsuspecting human who dared to walk home alone in the dark streets.

The blood of a human would have been a welcomed relief from his hunger.

Pausing, Riku peered at his reflection in a pool of rainwater accumulated alongside his path, grimacing at the sight. He glared at the bloodthirsty monster that watched him from the pool, its eyes carved from solid ice and its pupils black slits splitting its irises in two. Thirst transformed Riku's gaze, until his eyes were the cat-like glare reflected in the puddle, his pupils thin, black streaks amidst his ice blue irises.

A snarl rumbling in his throat, Riku turned away from his reflection in disgust, staggering to rest his forehead against the rough, blackened bark of a dying oak tree. So long as his thirst plagued him, he wasn't Riku anymore; he was a bloodthirsty monster, a rabid animal, a maddened beast. Closing his eyes, ignoring the throb of hunger in his stomach, Riku sent up a silent prayer that, no matter what the circumstances, Zahara never had to see him like this.

"I'm here!"

Riku turned his head and smiled a warm greeting to Zahara as she bounded into the meadow, grasping a folded square of white paper in one hand. She skidded to a halt in the tall grass, beginning to brown with the colder weather, and sat down next to him.

She indicated the folded piece of paper in her hand. "So, what's this big surprise you mentioned?"

Riku smiled. "Nothing much," he replied. "Just something I wanted to show you."

Standing, Riku offered Zahara his hand and, with a soft smile, she took it, allowing him to hoist her to her feet. A smile never leaving her lips, she walked at his side as he escorted her through the meadow, in the direction of the horizon.

"Where are we going?" she inquired.

Again, he smiled. "You'll see."

Another twenty minutes of walking through the seemingly endless meadow brought Riku and Zahara to a lakeside, a deserted raft tied to its single pier. Smiling, Zahara stared at the glittering water, touched by the setting sun's light and sparkling beneath the sky, smeared with a palette of reds, oranges, and yellows with a few touches of pink.

Indicating the wooden dock, Riku grinned. "Come on."

Zahara followed Riku out onto the pier, watching as he discarded his shoes before settling down on the edge of the dock. She copied his actions, sitting her converses aside before settling down beside him, gazing at the sparkling expanse of water and the sunset beyond.

"It's so...beautiful," she whispered in awe.

Riku smiled. _"So are you," _he thought, watching as she stared into the sunset, her eyes alive with joy. Zahara shuffled closer to Riku, and he looked down at her questioningly.

Then, she leaned down, and rested her head on his shoulder.

Riku froze, rigid with astonishment, his lips parting to form a little "O" of surprise. His face hot with embarrassment, he glanced down at her. She was an angel, resting on his arm, watching the sunset beside him. Gazing at the black-haired beauty beside him, Riku felt his heart accelerate in his chest.

Then, with an overjoyed smile, he rested his head on top of hers, and said nothing.

**A/N: Ugh, an extremely belated chapter. I was hoping to find a song to use in place of all the line breaks, but I couldn't find anything I liked. I find this chapter rather bland, but I hope you liked it. Please review. ^^**

**::Sheba:: **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Chapter Seven**

Swiping his tongue over his crimson-stained lips, Sora smiled joyfully to himself as entered the camp, whistling a cheerful tune. His thirst quenched by the blood of a late summer hiker he and his mate had shared during the morning hours, he was in a good mood, eager to spend the remainder of the afternoon napping back in camp after his tiring hunt; chasing his surprisingly quick-footed victim through the forest had exhausted him. Nimbly climbing up the rock face, he pulled himself onto the narrow ledge outside the cramped cavern he shared with Kairi and Riku.

He stopped, blinking in surprise.

Inside the shallow cavern, its cramped quarters lit by the strong, afternoon sunshine, Riku was frantically tossing quilts and pillows aside in a desperate search for something, an anxious gleam in his ice blue eyes, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"Riku?" Sora called, stepping inside the cavern. "What are you doing?"

"Sora." Riku looked at his friend, nodding in greeting. "Have you seen my sketchpad? I swear, I left it on my bed yesterday morning, and now I can't find it anywhere!"

The utter distress in Riku's voice surprised Sora.

"No, I haven't seen it," he answered, blinking in astonishment. "Riku, is it really _this_ important?" he prompted, indicating the disturbed mattresses and scattered bedding inside the cavern.

"Well...I guess not," Riku answered, biting his lip. He looked around the cavern at his mess and chuckled in embarrassment. "I should probably clean this up..."

* * *

The stench of the werewolves assaulted Nikki long before she reached the border, where vampire territory came to an abrupt halt and the wolves' began. For a long minute, she stood on the border, her nose wrinkled in dislike for the strong odor of her natural enemy. After she had taken Riku's sketchpad the morning before, Nikki had been summoned by her leader to help with chores around camp and, afterwards, had caught the scent of a stray hiker and jumped at the chance to feed; she hadn't had the time to continue with her investigation of the silver-haired vampire's odd behavior and his sketch of what appeared to be a werewolf in human form.

Then, with the sketchpad tucked under her arm, she crossed the border.

Her ears and nose on guard for the slightest sound or scent, Nikki slipped silently through the shadows, each a menacing black shape from which a wolf could spring. The hair on the back of her neck standing on end, she paused to scan the trees for danger. Though the wind carried their stench all throughout their land, she found that their most recent scent markers in this end of the territory were surprisingly old; their border was completely unguarded.

After a long walk through the trees, seemingly made longer by her constant fear of being attacked, Nikki found the wretched odor of the werewolves almost unbearable, her nose wrinkled in distaste, and decided that she was nearing their camp. Her instincts screamed for her to turn and run, to retreat into the safety of vampire territory, where no werewolf could ever cause her harm.

Nikki jumped when a loud voice called out through the trees.

Scanning the trees, Nikki ensured that she was safe before proceeding, cautiously peering around a broad tree trunk to view the small clearing beyond, crowded with elk hide hammocks mounted between trees, piles of smoking ash from fires recently doused, and a single cluster of boulders. The clearing was bustling with activity as two wolves, one golden yellow and white and the other dark brown, dragged an elk carcass into camp, their muzzles stained crimson with blood. A silver and white wolf, strangely larger than the others, trotted in front of them, barking orders the smaller wolves.

_"That must be the alpha," _Nikki decided, watching as he commanded his pack in the foreign language of wolves.

The golden and white she-wolf and the dark brown male followed the alpha to the center of the camp, dragging the massive carcass between them. With a demanding bark from the alpha, the two wolves dropped the elk, and promptly stepped aside. Glancing over his shoulder, the alpha barked again.

From the trees, another wolf appeared, bounding to the alpha's side and wagging her tail in greeting, almost as massive as he. Nikki gasped silently in astonishment at the sight of her, bright magenta spilling down her back and staining her black coat, forming three rings around her thick tail; she was, by far, the strangest creature the vampire had ever seen.

Two smaller wolves arose from the shadows, following the black and fuchsia she-wolf into camp. The first was a massive, dark gray beast with a glowering, golden gaze, a giant in comparison to the small, jet black she-wolf at his flank, her eyes a duo of gleaming emeralds engraved in her face. The two walked in perfect unison, one foot in front of the other, until they came to a halt beside the other wolves.

Then, the alpha stepped forward, dipping his head to tear the elk's hide aside and sink his fangs into the rich, red meat underneath. The black and magenta she-wolf stepped forth, and the alpha moved aside to make room for her. Together, the two ate from the carcass, their muzzles buried in its flank while the other wolves watched enviously. Nikki was glad she had eaten recently, or the delicious odor of the elk's blood would have dragged her from her hiding place and into the open.

With another bark, the alpha stepped aside, the black and fuchsia she-wolf following in his shadow, and the other wolves leaped upon the carcass hungrily, all but the jet black she-wolf. The dark brown wolf dominated the kill, shouldering the others aside as he gulped generous chunks of the dark red meat. Tired of struggling against him, the golden and white she-wolf left the dark brown wolf to eat alone, trotting to the opposite side of the carcass to eat beside the dark gray wolf.

Watching the other wolves eat with hunger in her emerald eyes, the black she-wolf whimpered and took a small step forward, quickly withdrawing again when the alpha turned and snarled at her. She whined submissively and sat down, watching as the other wolves devoured the carcass.

Nikki watched the black wolf with curiosity glittering in her dark chocolate eyes. _"Why won't the alpha let her eat?" _she wondered.

Again, the emerald-eyed she-wolf whimpered. Lifting his head, the dark gray wolf stopped eating and looked at her, an apologetic look on his face. His black lips curled into an apologetic smile, his intense gaze sparkling with affection...the expression was so human that it frightened Nikki. Snarling, the dark gray wolf shoved his brown comrade aside, tearing a massive chunk from the elk and quickly walking away. The dark chocolate wolf growled in frustration, but made no attempt at retrieving the meat.

Nikki watched in fascination as the dark gray wolf carried the chunk of meat to the jet black female, dropping it at her feet and eagerly nudging it towards her with his nose. With an overjoyed wag of her tail, the she-wolf barked her apparent thanks and began to eat. The alpha snorted, and the dark gray wolf boldly returned his snarl, shadowing his companion as she ate.

When the wolves had finished eating and the carcass was all but gone, bits of flesh stuck to bones, the alpha stood and barked. The golden and white she-wolf and the dark brown male nodded in his direction and began to drag the carcass into the trees. The two wolves vanishing into the forest on the opposite side of the clearing, Nikki watched in amazement as the werewolves remaining in the camp all stood and became as human in form as she.

In place of the black she-wolf, a brown-haired young woman stood, her dark gray companion taking the form of an astonishingly handsome, black-haired young man with radiant amber eyes, his mouth stained with blood from his meal. Nikki watched as the brunette stood on her toes, craning her neck to lick the blood from his face. She was surprised to find a smile tugging at her lips.

_"Disgusting, but sweet," _she thought, grinning softly as she watched the brunette clean her companion's face. The black-haired young man laughed and swept her into his arms, smiling as she nestled into his chest, nuzzling his throat.

As the two werewolves engaged in a strangely tender kiss, Nikki decided, _"They must be mates." _

A movement at the edge of the clearing caught Nikki's eye, and she turned to watch the alpha and the young woman at his side. She gasped quietly in recognition of the black-haired teen, flipping the sketchpad she held open and turning it to the page of Riku's sketch of the she-werewolf. Nikki glanced at the raven-haired girl as she bounded through the clearing to join the other two young werewolves before returning her attention to Riku's beautifully detailed drawing. It was, without a doubt, the alpha's heir.

Eyes wide with astonishment, Nikki turned and silently vanished into the trees.

* * *

The wood was alive with the oncoming autumn, leaves dancing in the chill breezes, spiraling in the wind until they were tossed aside and abandoned on the forest floor, as they fell from the trees. The pale sunshine of the early evening fell through the naked tree branches to pool on the piles of fallen leaves below, the dark forest brightened by their many colors, contrasting shades of brown and red, yellow and orange.

Basking in a pool of golden sunshine, Riku waited for Zahara. For an exhausting two hours, he had waited beside the oak tree where he usually left her messages. He would have tucked a note into the hollow trunk for her and left the quiet, lonely part of the woods for the brighter, more cheerful meadow beyond, but his sketchpad had mysteriously vanished and he couldn't find a spare piece of paper for his message.

A gentle breeze carrying the sweet, delicious odor he adored to him, he heaved a quiet sigh of relief and stood, smiling as Zahara appeared in the distance, bounding through the trees to greet him.

"Riku!" she called, smiling as she approached him. Her hips were swinging to and fro in joy when she reached him, reminiscent to a dog wagging its tail; the oddly adorable gesture made Riku smile.

"Hello, Zahara," he greeted. She glanced upward at the sky through the canopy of leafless branches overhead, frowning. The sky was bleeding crimson above them, the sun beginning to sink beneath the horizon.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she sighed. She looked at him, her magenta eyes troubled. "I feel awful."

"Is something wrong?" Riku prompted.

"I keep promising Sheba that I'll help her with the plans for her mating ceremony," Zahara began. She paused. "She's getting married, pretty much."

"And?"

"Well, I keep having to _lie _to her to get out of camp," Zahara confessed. "And...she has to do the plans alone. I imagine it must hurt her to see me walk away like this, but..." Again, she paused, biting her lip. "I just...look forward to seeing you."

Riku smiled. "If she knew, I'm sure she'd understand," he reassured her. "Your sister sounds like the kind of person who values friendship."

Zahara sighed. "Well, we better go while we can. I have to be back by moonrise."

Flashing her a reassuring smile, Riku nodded and escorted her around the oak tree and into the dense forest beyond. The two walked in a strangely comfortable silence, each basking in the simple pleasure of the other's presence. Zahara smiled as Riku stepped in front of her as they neared the meadow, holding aside a tangle of brambles for her to pass by unharmed.

As he released the mess of briars, the plant sprang forth fitfully, one of its stems stinging his forearm as it jumped back into place, a sharp thorn catching in his skin. Silently, Riku pulled the briar from his skin, avoiding the stem as it swayed to and fro before settling back into its original place.

Then, a trickle of blood streamed down his forearm.

Zahara gasped. "You...you're bleeding!" she exclaimed.

Riku glanced at the tiny cut on his forearm, seeping blood as he continued through the trees. "So? It's just a scratch."

"But...you're a vampire!" she argued. "And you're _bleeding_!" Noting her surprise, Riku laughed at her astonished expression and smiled.

"Vampires bleed like any other creature, Zahara," he explained. "We can bleed to death just as easily as anything else. As long as we keep blood in our systems, we can survive practically anything, which is probably why humans think we're immortal. Of course, we can't drink our own blood, or we'd just be draining ourselves to put the same fluids back into our systems. It just won't work."

Wiping the trickle of blood on his pants' leg, Riku smiled and indicated the open space beyond the trees ahead of them. "We're here."

* * *

Without company, the forest was a stark, forbidding place, the dark shapes of trees casting black shadows over Sheba's path as she walked through the woods alone, cringing at the loud hooting of an owl as it soared through the branches overhead. The soft, silver glow of a half-moon shone on her path, lighting her way as she followed Zahara's sweet odor through the trees.

For two hours, Sheba had waited on the riverbank for her sister to arrive, the grass scattered with fallen leaves and the dying flowers from the day before. After a successful hunt and a satisfying meal, Zahara had bounded to Sheba and promised to help with the plans for her upcoming ceremony. It was unlike Zahara to break a promise, and her lie was still a fresh wound in Sheba's mind when she had decided to search for the younger wolf and investigate her strange behavior.

"Zahara?" Sheba called. Inhaling, she hoped to find the distinct aroma of the heiress stronger, but instead retched in disgust as the sharp stench of vampire flooded her senses.

"Vampires...," Sheba murmured, reassured by the sound of her own voice in the quiet of the night. "I must be near the border."

* * *

Zahara was a sleeping angel, her pristine face kissed by silver moonlight, her jet black hair gleaming with the soft glow of a million stars. The left side of her face was hidden behind a curtain of magenta-edged bangs, strewn across her alabaster cheek. Her smooth, pastel lips were parted slightly, moving in unison with the gentle rise and fall of her slender stomach as she breathed.

Riku watched her sleep with a soft smile on his face, moonshine catching on his silver hair.

"Zahara," he whispered, following the soft heaving of her sides as she breathed.

Smiling, Riku dipped his head, his senses instantly flooded by her luscious aroma, to gaze at her closed eyelids, imagining her opened eyes and the joy gleaming within them. He studied her face: the smooth plane of her forehead; the cascade of her silken bangs against her alabaster cheek; her feathery, black eyelashes; her smooth, parted lips...

Awed by her magnificence, Riku whispered softly, "Zahara...you're beautiful."

Riku exhaled gently, smiling as Zahara's lip trembled slightly beneath his breath. She wrinkled her nose and sighed softly in her sleep. He watched as her mouth closed, following every movement of her smooth, untouched lips, inhaling her sweet, delicious breath...she was all but too tempting.

With a troubled sigh, Riku sat up and shook his head, burying his face in his hands. "_What_ am I thinking?" he demanded of himself. "I _can't _love her! She's a werewolf! An _alpha_ werewolf! And I'm...a vampire."

With a woeful smile, Riku looked at the heiress as she mumbled softly in her sleep beside him, frightened by an apparent nightmare and seeking solace through a quiet whimper. "Shh...," Riku whispered, extending a hand to cautiously brush her hair aside, tucking her silken bangs behind her ear. She quieted beneath his touch, and he smiled.

"Zahara," Riku whispered. Caressing her cheek with a gentle hand, he leaned down and carefully touched his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes and losing himself in his simple action. "Zahara," he repeated. "I know I shouldn't, but...I love you."

His heart drowned in misery, Riku withdrew with a sigh, turning his sorrowful gaze to the midnight sky. "I'm an idiot...," he muttered. "A vampire in love with a werewolf. What would-"

Riku fell silent in astonishment, looking down in disbelief and blinking in surprise.

"Zahara?" he prompted, staring at the raven-haired girl in bewilderment, her head rested on his shoulder, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "You're...awake?"

He turned his head in embarrassment, feeling heat creep into his cheeks as his entire face flushed dark red. "H-how much of that did you hear?" he stuttered.

Zahara chuckled. "Enough."

"I'm..." Riku shook his head, frowning, and heaved a weary sigh. "I'm so-"

"Riku," she cut him off, smiling up at him. "If you're an idiot, then I am, too."

Her smile unfading, Zahara rested a warm hand on top of his. "A werewolf in love with a vampire."

Riku smiled and carefully, with all the gentleness of a lamb, grasped her slender hand in his. Lifting her head, Zahara planted a tender kiss on his jaw, before returning to her head to his shoulder, warmed by his presence.

"I love you, Riku," she said. He smiled, resting his head on top of hers.

"It's late," Riku warned. "You'll be missed."

"It's alright. I'll tell everyone I went for a walk and lost track of time, then I got lost in the dark and had to wait until morning to come home."

Riku heaved a contented sigh, grasping Zahara's hand in his, and buried his face in her hair, savoring her luscious aroma, filling his mouth with a sweet flavor with each breath he took. She watched him with gleaming eyes, alive with adoration and affection. Then, with a quiet yawn, she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to embrace her.

Standing in the shadows at the meadow's edge, emerald eyes wide, Sheba watched in astonishment.

**A/N: Awww...Riku and Zahara in love. x3 I love this chapter. I've been looking forward to writing it for weeks. From here, the story will really take off, hopefully. I hope you like it. :3 Please review. **

**:: Sheba :: **


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Sheba the Lone Wolf does not own Kingdom Hearts. **

**Chapter Eight**

The gentle light of dawn was beginning to penetrate the silver carpet of fog that blanketed the meadow, turned daunting and eerie by the fading night, when Riku woke. Blinking the weariness from his eyes, he felt an immediate smile on his face as he glanced down at Zahara, her sweet-scented breath warm and moist on his throat. He watched the slow, gentle movement of her bare stomach and the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. A stray lock of hair had fallen in her face, veiling her left eye from the oncoming light of morning.

"Zahara," Riku whispered. Dipping his head, he touched his lips to her forehead, smiling when her eyebrows furrowed in response to his tender touch. He would have loved to settle down in the lush blanket of grass and wild flowers, to allow sleep to embrace him again, and let Zahara rest at his side.

_"If only everyone could accept this," _he thought. _"If only the other vampires and werewolves could understand this." _

With a tired blink, Zahara glanced at him with half-closed eyes, glazed with sleep. "Riku...?"

Looking down at her with troubled eyes, Riku tried to smile again. "I'm sorry, Zahara, but we have to go. If you don't get back to camp before the other wolves wake up, one of them will come looking for you."

Dazed by exhaustion, Zahara rested her head on his chest, listening to the gentle thrumming of his heartbeat, smiling when it accelerated beneath her touch. "But..."

Engulfing the heiress in his arms, Riku smiled, resting his chin on top of her head, inhaling the luscious aroma of his flawless angel, intoxicated by the fact that she was finally his. "If someone finds out, we'll never be allowed to see each other again. So, we have to go."

She groaned in protest and, with another smile, he added, "I'll carry you."

Willingly, Zahara rolled over, watching through sleep-dazed eyes as he stood and brushed himself off before bending down to scoop her carefully into his strong arms. She smiled, closing her eyes as she settled into his embrace, leaning her head against his burly bicep to rest.

"I'll carry you to the tree where I leave you messages," he decided. "From there, you have to walk."

Heaving a contented sigh, she inhaled his warm, pleasantly pungent odor and nodded against his shoulder.

* * *

The sunlight was beginning to shine golden through the silver fog, staining the forest metallic, when Zahara arrived in camp. The back of her neck pricked with the immediate crackle of almost tangible tension in the air, her thoughts troubled as she remembered the strong stench of vampire she must have carried.

"Where have you been?"

Zahara flinched, turning to face the speaker and, despite the distinctly female air to the voice, expecting to see her demanding father. Instead, her eyebrows arched in surprise as she turned to find Sheba leaning against a dark-skinned tree at the edge of camp, arms crossed and eyes frighteningly stern. Immediately, Sheba winced, her nose wrinkling as Zahara faced her.

Biting her lip, Zahara answered, "I went for a walk yesterday evening, like I always do. But, I lost track of time and wandered off. After it was dark out, I couldn't find my way back, so I found a place to rest until morning." Frowning, she prompted, "Is Dad mad at me?"

Sheba sighed. "Zahara, please, _don't_ lie to me." Taking a silent step into the silver-swathed trees, she motioned for Zahara to follow her before vanishing into the rising fog with the younger werewolf behind her.

Her slender figure swathed in silver mist, Sheba turned to face her younger sister. "Zahara," she whispered, her voice choked with an emotion only describable as betrayal. "I saw you with that vampire last night."

Zahara gasped.

Turning away from her sibling, Sheba bowed her head in pain, "But, it's not the vampire that bothers me."

"It's...not?" Zahara questioned.

"No." Sheba glanced at Zahara from the corner of one hazel eye, veiled by a lock of her dark chocolate bangs, and gritted her teeth in pain. "It's the _lies_, Zahara. You _lied_ to me."

"Sheba, I-I'm sorry," Zahara stuttered. "It's just...I know I shouldn't have, but I wanted to see him again. I'm afraid that, if I don't go when I have the chance, I'll never get to see him again. I'm sorry I lied."

"Do you mean it?" Sheba inquired.

Zahara nodded and Sheba sighed. "Well, I guess I can believe that much." She flashed her sister an unexpected smile. "What's the vampire's name?"

For a moment, Zahara paused and stared into her sister's gentle, hazel eyes. For as long as Zahara could remember, those light brown eyes had been a willing sanctuary, a shelter from the death of her mother and the strict orders of her father, a gaze that would always see and understand, ears that would always listen and lips that would never tell. A sharp stab of guilt pierced Zahara's heart as she peered into Sheba's eyes through the curtain of silver fog between them, a gaze filled with forgiveness. Zahara had lied to Sheba, and yet she saw nothing but amnesty in her eyes.

Zahara smiled. "His name is Riku."

"Riku," Sheba repeated. "What's he like?"

"He's nothing like what everyone says vampires are," Zahara began. "He's sweet, kind, caring, playful...he's almost too good to be true. And he's always so gentle, like he's afraid I'm going to break. It's hard for me to imagine him ever hurting anything."

"Does he smell like blood?"

"What? No," Zahara answered. "He smells...almost like a normal human. Masculine, a bit musky, pleasant. Hard to describe."

"I wonder if all vampires smell that way," Sheba said, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "From a distance, they all smell the same to me." Shrugging, she added, "Speaking of smells, you stink. Maybe you should take a bath before you talk to the alpha."

Zahara nodded. "Good idea."

* * *

Her hair still dripping water from her brisk swim in the nearest river, Zahara crept into the werewolf camp without a sound. Sheba walked behind Zahara, her feet silent on the forest floor despite the dead leaves littering the earth. The forest around her was still and silent, the other wolves asleep in their elk hide hammocks, scattered about the crowded clearing. A soft whimper suddenly broke the silence, startling the two as they continued through the camp.

Glancing at the nearest hammock, mounted between an oak and a smaller maple tree, Sheba smiled, pausing to watch her black-haired lover as he slept, his amber eyes closed and his lips parted in a quiet whine. Zahara watched as Sheba extended a hand to stroke Storm's face, caressing his cheek as he whimpered again, brushing a stray lock of hair from his brow.

"Only two more weeks," Sheba whispered. "And he'll be mine forever."

"As if he'd ever leave you anyways," Zahara answered, smiling softly. "He thinks the world of you."

"I know." Sheba's smile was unfading, plastered to her pristine face, her hazel eyes sparkling with utmost affection. "He tells me. Every morning and every night."

As Storm quieted and ceased to whimper, Sheba withdrew her hand and turned to follow Zahara through the camp. Heaving a contented sigh, Sheba glanced over her shoulder at her sleeping lover as she settled down on the edge of Zahara's hammock, the raven-haired teen perched beside her.

Glancing at the pile of carefully arranged boulders in the camp's center, Zahara asked, "Do you think I'd be able to avoid confrontation?"

"What are you going to tell him?" Sheba prompted.

"I'll tell him I was out walking and lost track of time," Zahara answered. "After dark, I winded up getting lost and found a place to stay for the night."

"He might restrict you to camp again," Sheba warned. "You might want to be a little more discrete about your meetings with this...Riku, if you want to keep your freedom."

"Thanks, _mom_." Zahara rolled her eyes and grinned. "I'm going to see him again this evening. Even if I have to sneak out."

"Sneaking out will get you into big trouble," Sheba cautioned. Her ear twitched inhumanly, and she glanced in the direction of the alpha's den. "He's awake. You better get ready to tell that story about getting lost in your own territory."

Zahara frowned. "Do you think he'll know I'm lying?"

Sheba shrugged, watching as the silver and white shape of the alpha's wolf embodiment arose from the rock formation in the clearing's center. "You better hope he doesn't."

Anxiety rumbling in her stomach, Zahara watched as her father stretched, hunching his broad shoulders as he bowed and outstretched his forelegs, black claws extended. With an unnoticeable twitch of his nose, the silver and white wolf turned and stared at Zahara, visible relief flooding his blue-green gaze. Zahara blinked, finding her father as human as she when she reopened her eyes. The robust, blonde-haired man approached her with a rugged, forced smile.

"My daughter," he greeted, standing before the elk hide hammock where Zahara and Sheba sat, his meaningless smile vanishing when his gaze fell on the brunette who perched beside his child. Frowning, he blinked at her dismissively and returned his attention to Zahara.

"Where were you last night?" he asked. "I was worried about you."

"I'm sorry." Zahara smiled sheepishly, her eyebrows arched expressively, while Sheba watched her in silence. "I wandered farther into the woods than usual last night while I was out walking, and I winded up getting lost after dark. So, I camped out in the forest instead of trying to find my way home."

Riley stared at her. "Why didn't you try to follow your scent trail back home?"

"Well..." Zahara bowed her head, staring at the toe of one black-and-white converse. "I..."

"Alpha," Sheba interrupted, raising her hand in a polite request to speak. "I believe-"

"Silence, omega," Riley snarled, glaring at the brunette harshly.

"Daddy," Zahara scolded, frowning at her father. Glancing at the young woman who perched beside her on the swinging hammock, she said, "Go on, Sheba."

"Alpha," Sheba began. "I think it's time for you to face the facts. Your daughter is growing up, sir, and she's beginning to want more freedom than you allow. You're too hard on her. The heiress is an honest and trustworthy young woman. She's almost an adult, and she can take care of herself now."

Standing, she continued, "I understand that you're worried about the vampires. But, my alpha, I don't believe the vampires mean your daughter any harm. As long as she's on our territory, no vampire will even think of laying a hand on her. There hasn't been a vampire in our territory for malicious reasons since I was seven."

Turning, she glanced over her shoulder at the alpha and finished, "But, I understand why you're worried. Keep in mind that your mate was also my mother." Without another word, Sheba turned and walked into the trees, vanishing into the fogless forest with morning sunlight dancing on her dark chocolate hair.

Zahara blinked, watching as her sister disappeared into the trees. Sheba's comment on sharing a mother with her had been a meaningful remark for the alpha; regardless of Riley's cruel treatment, it was unlike the young woman to be rude or disrespectful. "She's right," Zahara stated. "I do want more freedom, Daddy."

For a long moment, Riley was silent, staring into the trees, gazing at the place where Sheba had disappeared. Then, he sighed wearily. "I suppose she's right, Zahara. You are growing up, and you are old enough to take care of yourself."

"As long as you are back by midnight," Riley decided. "You have my permission to do as you please all day. I just don't want you wandering around in the dark by yourself." He nodded, then waved a hand at her dismissively as the other wolves began to awaken and gather in the camp's center, awaiting instruction for the morning hunt.

Watching as her father turned and joined his comrades, shouting commands at the three wolves, Zahara's features broke into a broad smile. Glancing at the place where Sheba had vanished into the forest, she silently thanked her sister for her newfound freedom, before turning and bounding in the opposite direction.

* * *

The ground thundered beneath Zahara as she rocketed through the trees with the speed of lightning, a thunderstorm embodied in the form of a massive, black and magenta she-wolf. She hurdled over a fallen log, the wind buffeting her ears and the thick mane of fur around her throat, running with her head bowed to deflect the harsh winds.

Skidding to a sudden halt, Zahara watched through the tangled growth as Riku appeared on the opposite side of the border, glancing over his shoulder nervously and parting his lips to anxiously taste the air for any sign of a disapproving vampire or werewolf. An abrupt gust of wind ruffled Zahara's fur, sweeping her musky, wolf smell across the border to invade Riku's senses. Surprised, he leaped backward, his shoulders tense and his head low as he scanned the growth where Zahara crouched for the unknown wolf he scented. Even though she was well-concealed in the mess of briars and growth, her bright coloration attracted his attention immediately and he straightened, heaving a sigh of relief as he leaned a tan arm against the aging oak tree where he often left Zahara messages.

"Zahara," he breathed, excitement churning in his stomach, causing his heart to flutter eagerly. "You're early."

Stepping over the tangle of brambles she had hidden behind, Zahara approached the silver-haired vampire, her black lips parted to reveal the three-inch fangs underneath, her pink tongue lolling from her mouth in a wolfish grin. Playfully, she dipped her head, batting his shoulder carefully with her massive skill; even the slight impact of her affectionate and gentle gesture was enough to throw his balance off, and he scarcely caught himself from falling. Her crescent eyes were bright, her lush tail swinging to and fro behind her, the wind from its wagging a cool breeze against Riku's skin.

Then, he blinked, and the wolf had vanished, leaving a human girl behind.

She smiled. "Thanks to Sheba, I didn't get in trouble for staying out late last night, and I even got a few...additional freedoms. I'm allowed to leave camp _all day_, as long as I'm home by midnight. So, we can be together everyday."

He returned her smile, his eyes gleaming with joy through his silver bangs. "I'd love that." His grin broadening, he added, "There's something I want to show you."

"Hmm?"

"Are you willing to take a bit of a risk?" he asked.

Cocking an eyebrow at him, Zahara prompted, "Why is it risky?"

"Because," he explained. "It's on vampire territory." Seeing the immediate alarm in her magenta gaze, her eyebrows arching worriedly, he chuckled and continued, "But, it's in the farthest corner of the territory. I'm the only one who ever goes anywhere near the area, unless two of my friends go with me, and that's only in the summer."

"I know a way into the territory from the meadow. No one ever patrols the territory there because it isn't bordered with your father's land. No one will ever know you were there. But," he continued. "It's a very long walk."

"I like long walks." She smiled.

"Well then," he answered. "Let's go."

After a single step, Riku paused and glanced at Zahara, watching as she looked at him in confusion over his sudden halt. Grinning, he extended a hand and carefully enveloped hers, finding her alabaster hand small and fragile in his. With a timid smile, she entwined her fingers with his, his palm warm around her seemingly delicate hand.

Without another word, Riku smiled and resumed walking, Zahara trotting at his side.

* * *

Engulfed in a warm silence, Riku and Zahara walked side-by-side until the border vanished and the trees thinned to reveal the meadow beyond. The air was warm with the early autumn sun, shining golden on the tall grass and assorted wildflowers of the pasture, all beginning to brown with the oncoming months of cold. A pleasant breeze rippled across the ocean of green, dotted with white and pink, tousling Riku's long, unruly hair.

From the edge of the trees, Nikki watched with narrowed eyes, eyebrows arched in distaste as she watched the vampire and werewolf standing in the meadow, hands intertwined between them. Disgust glimmered in her eyes as, with a soft laugh over something the raven-haired girl had said, Riku released her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist instead. As the two continued their walk, moving along the edge of the meadow, Nikki followed silently, hidden in the trees, keeping a watchful eye on the direction of the winds in fear of revealing herself by scent.

His arm wrapped around her waist, Zahara leaned her head on Riku's shoulder, inhaling his pleasant scent as the two walked. A sudden movement catching the corner of her eye, she glanced at the trees, scanning the outskirts of the forest for signs of life but finding nothing. Passing the incident off as paranoia, she nestled into Riku's warm shoulder and smiled.

Glancing down at her, Riku inquired, "Zahara, what are the other werewolves like?"

She looked up at him and blinked in surprise at his unexpected question. "Well," she began. "The pack has gotten a lot smaller since it was effected by the plague. No one knows what kind of disease it was, but it only affected the wildlife and the werewolves, so it must have been a sickness among only animals. Anyways, there's only six wolves in the pack, counting me."

"Well, what are those six like?" he prodded.

Biting her lip, Zahara began, "Well, there's my father, the alpha. His name is Riley. He's...strict. He isn't particularly affectionate or likeable, and he's very demanding of the other wolves, especially me. He _really_ hates Sheba because my mother had him with another man. I think I've mentioned it before, so I won't go into that. Anyways, you wouldn't care for him. No one else does. Not even me."

"That's a bit harsh," Riku noted. "You don't love your own father?"

"Of course I love him," Zahara answered. "There are just times when I wonder if he loves me." She heaved a quiet sigh and, hoping to comfort her, he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"What about the others?" he continued.

"After that little incident with the triplets," Zahara began, pausing to shudder at the memory. "The pack has only one omega, Sheba. She's strong, beautiful, talented, intelligent, a great hunter, and everyone loves her. She's even gifted with medicine. She was the one who found a cure for the plague that almost wiped us out completely. But, Riley hates her. So, she's an omega, even though she's the nicest person you'll ever meet."

Biting her lip, Zahara paused, and Riku stopped beside her. Concern written in his features as she bowed her head in disdain, he lifted her chin with one finger and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Well...it's just..." She sighed. "Sheba knows we've been seeing each other."

Hurriedly, Zahara looked up, her eyes wide and her eyebrows furrowed. "Please, don't be mad at me! She'd never tell anyone, honest!"

"Mad at you?" Riku prompted. "I'm not mad at all, Zahara."

She smiled, her eyes softening. "Really?"

"Of course not," he replied. "If you say she won't tell, then I trust that."

Nestling into his shoulder, she murmured, "Thank you, Riku. I tried to keep it a secret, but...she must have followed me here last night because she said saw us cuddling."

His face flushed. "Oh, really?" Laughing, he gently squeezed her again and said, "Sheba won't tell. You don't have to keep secrets from your sister anymore. It works out perfectly for you. Now, what about the others?"

"There are three beta wolves, Storm, Neal, and Rexy," Zahara continued. "Storm is Sheba's mate. Well, almost. They're...getting married, for lack of a better term, in about two weeks."

"Werewolves have weddings?" Riku prompted. He stopped to hoist her over a moss-draped log before stepping over it himself and resuming their prior position.

"We have mating ceremonies, which are essentially weddings," she explained. "When two wolves choose one another for their mate, the entire pack joins them for a ceremony. The alpha watches them say their vows and then there's food and stuff. It's a lot like a human wedding. But, afterwards, the male takes his female somewhere special to, um...mate. While they're mating, the male wolf bites the she-wolf's throat. When the wound heals, it leaves a scar. A mating mark. After they're finished mating, the she-wolf tattoos her mate's shoulder, back, or hip with a special tattoo reserved for mated pairs. The tattoo looks like a tongue of flame. The center is red and the outlining is black."

She pointed to the tattoos beneath her visible eye. "The tattoos are drawn with needles made from fish bones. And, yes, they are _extremely_ painful and take forever to heal. The black is done with blackberry juice. The red is from the she-wolf's own blood. The tattoos and mating marks are the most symbolic part of these ceremonies."

Riku listened with an intensely fascinated gaze, her ice blue eyes alive with curiosity and interest, just as they had been when he had first learned a few of the werewolf customs. Zahara smiled.

"The celebration is an even bigger deal when the heir or heiress chooses his or her mate."

Riku glanced at her from the corner of his eye and smiled. "I bet so."

"What about you?" Zahara asked. "What are your friends like?"

"The other vampires tend to avoid me. Except for my best friends, Sora and Kairi," Riku answered. "I've known Sora since I joined the coven after my father murdered my mother. He was born a vampire, like me and most of the others."

"And Kairi wasn't?"

Riku frowned, his eyes dark with the gruesome memory of how Sora had saved Kairi's life.

"Sora found her about three years ago," Riku stated. "She was hiking in the forest when she stumbled across a mother bear and her cub. If Sora hadn't showed up when he did, she wouldn't have survived the attack. I'm surprised she survived it anyways. She was torn to pieces, and there was blood _everywhere_. But, instead of drinking her blood, Sora injected her with his venom and turned her into a vampire. Since the other vampires would've tried to kill her because of all the blood, he stayed with her until she changed. It must have taken almost two weeks. And, when she did change, he showed her how to hunt and everything. It was love at first sight."

"Aww." Zahara smiled. "That's so sweet."

Stepping over another log, Riku silenced and smiled at her. For a moment, there was quiet, until he spoke, "We're less than a mile away now. Listen."

Closing her eyes, Zahara leaned against Riku's side and listened to the sounds of the forest as they walked, trusting him to guide her. The birds were singing cheerfully in the trees, the wind rustling the browning leaves. There was the soft crunching of dead leaves beneath their feet as they proceeded through vampire territory and, in the distance, Zahara heard the thunder of water.

Opening her eyes, Zahara blinked. "A waterfall."

He smiled. "Yes. The only one in the entire forest. You could walk for days and not come across another one."

"I've never seen one," Zahara stated. "But, my mother used to tell me stories about a waterfall. She used to travel everywhere, until she had Sheba and her first mate left her."

Riku and Zahara flinched beneath the harsh cawing of a raven as it swooped down to perch on a nearby branch. Zahara stopped and stared at the dark-eyed creature for a long moment and said, "I know you."

"You know the bird?" Riku prompted.

"Yes," Zahara answered. "It's the raven who follows me sometimes. You might even call her a friend."

Without another loud caw, the raven swooped down from the tree to alight on Zahara's shoulder. Riku stared at the black-feathered bird in wonder as it perched on her shoulder.

"A raven who plays with werewolves," he said. "Huh."

Zahara smiled, scratching the raven's sleek head with one finger as she and Riku continued to walk through the trees. The roar of the waterfall grew steadily louder until Riku finally stopped and smiled down at her.

"We're here."

**A/N: Belated updates. x_x I'm really sorry about the long wait in-between chapters. I've had severe writer's block lately (this chapter dissatisfies me). I predict a lot of fluff in the next chapter. :3 **

**::Sheba:: **


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